Methane (CH4) is a significant greenhouse gas, primarily produced through agricultural activities like livestock and rice production. Belize, a small contributor to global GHG emissions, is committed to reducing its emissions to contribute to the Paris Agreement’s goals. The country has strengthened its target in the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector, with a focus on achieving net-zero global emissions by 2050.
The 2015 National Adaptation Strategy to Address Climate Change in the Agriculture Sector in Belize (NAS) highlights that Belize is self-sufficient in staples such as rice, corn, beans, and corn. However, global CO2 emissions rebounded by 4.8 in 2021, reaching 34.9 GtCO2.
Belize is classified as a Small Island Developing State, contributing less than 0.01 percent to global emissions and accounting for a small share of emissions. The most significant source of emissions in 2021 was the land-use change and forestry industry, producing 5.24 million GHG emissions.
Brazil’s low contribution to global GHG emissions makes it vulnerable to climate change effects. The government of Belize has proactively increased resources allocated to the design of its transport sector, improving its capacity to reduce emissions through training workshops focused on data collection and monitoring for greenhouse gases. The main sources of GHG emissions in Belize are waste management/burning of garbage, land-use change, and energy.
In conclusion, Belize is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to the Paris Agreement’s goals. By expanding its renewable energy share and focusing on energy efficiency, the country can work towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
📹 I-Team: Hidden cameras reveal dark side of solar power
By Randy Travis Published May 16, 2022 DOUGLASVILLE, Ga – A hidden camera FOX 5 I-Team investigation takes the shine off …
Why is Belize so vulnerable to climate change?
Belize is highly susceptible to hurricanes, storms, flooding, wind damage, and storm surge, particularly in Belize City. The country’s low-lying terrain exacerbates these effects, and extreme temperature events also pose a threat. The World Bank’s Natural Disaster Hotspot study ranks Belize as the 61st highest exposed country for relative mortality risk from multiple hazards and 8th out of 167 countries for climate risk.
Key natural hazards and their socioeconomic impacts are summarized, allowing for quick evaluation of vulnerable areas and identifying exposed livelihoods and natural systems. Charts provide an overview of the most frequent natural disasters and their impacts on human populations.
Is Belize carbon neutral?
In 2021, Belize was identified as the 169th largest greenhouse gas emitter globally, contributing 0. 01% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The country’s emissions averaged 1. 56 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. This increase from 2020 was 3. 1. However, from 1990 to 2021, Belize’s emissions exhibited a -4. 5 compound annual growth rate (CAGR). During the same period, the largest emitters were China, the United States, India, Russia, and Brazil.
What is the environmental problem in Belize?
Belize, despite its ecological diversity, faces challenges in poverty reduction due to deforestation, coastal development, and crude oil exploitation. The country’s large-scale tourism, which has grown since 2004, has led to a significant increase in visitors, but the country lacks adequate infrastructure to handle the waste generated by this growing population. Cruise ships, in particular, create problems for the beach areas around Belize City, which lack a solid waste management system. This results in toxic air pollution and liquid waste ending up in the ground or ocean. The government has promised to improve waste management systems, but has taken few steps to do so.
In 1998, Belize adopted an official policy on “responsible tourism” to protect the environment and create jobs for locals. However, due to low prices for its only viable exports, sugar and bananas, tourism is bearing the brunt of a struggling economy. Deforestation has accelerated since 2010, causing over 48 square miles of rainforest to be lost annually. This massive loss of forest leads to erosion and difficulties for new growth to take root. The government cannot afford to keep up with the rapid growth of the tourism industry.
Which country has the highest greenhouse gas emissions?
China is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide gas globally, with 11, 397 million metric tons emitted in 2022. The primary source of CO2 emissions is fossil fuels, particularly coal-burning ones. The five countries with the highest CO2 emissions are China, the U. S., India, Russia, and Japan, according to the Global Carbon Atlas. NASA’s Climate Science division states that the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere has increased by 50 percent since the Industrial Revolution, leading to climate change. Around 90% of carbon dioxide emissions are attributed to fossil fuel use.
What causes most greenhouse gas emissions?
Fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and gas, are the primary contributors to global climate change, accounting for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. These emissions trap the sun’s heat, leading to global warming and climate change. The world is currently warming faster than ever before, altering weather patterns and disrupting nature’s balance, posing risks to humans and all life forms.
Most electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, producing carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, which trap the sun’s heat. However, over a quarter of electricity comes from renewable sources like wind and solar, which emit minimal greenhouse gases or pollutants.
Why is everyone moving to Belize?
Belize, a small country with a population of 320, 000, offers a wide range of attractions, including a tropical climate, beautiful fauna, multiculturalism, ancient history, and political stability. The country offers beaches, lagoons, rivers, islands, and jungles, with a high quality of life and low living costs. Belize is untouched yet connected to the rest of the world, offering an uncomplicated yet interesting life experience that may make you feel like you’ve discovered paradise.
Which country has the worst greenhouse gases?
The main disadvantage of measuring total national emissions is that it doesn’t consider population size. China, with the largest CO2 and GHG emissions in the world, has the second largest population. To provide a fair comparison, emissions should be analyzed in terms of CO2 and GHG per capita. China’s levels in 2022 were nearly two-thirds of those of the United States and less than a sixth of those of Palau. In 2023, China, the United States, India, the EU27, Russia, and Brazil were the world’s largest GHG emitters, accounting for 49.
8% of the global population, 63. 2 of the global gross domestic product, 64. 2 of global fossil fuel consumption, and 62. 7 of global GHG emissions. India had the largest increase in relative terms and China the largest absolute increase by 784 Mt CO2 eq.
Which 3 countries are carbon negative?
Bhutan, Suriname, and Panama are three countries that have made significant strides in reducing carbon emissions since the signing of the Paris Agreement. Bhutan, with over 70% of its land covered in trees, has become the first country to be named carbon-negative, absorbing more carbon emissions than the country emits. This success is attributed to the environmental protections enshrined in their constitution, which allows them to enact legislation in the dual interest of their environment and their people.
Suriname, on the northeast coast of South America, also has a carbon-negativity record, covering 93 of its land in forests. The country aims to maintain its share of electricity from renewable sources above 35 by 2030 and is working on climate smart farming, water resource management, and sustainable land management. It also plans to revamp its public transportation system and introduce new sustainability measures to regulate and decrease vehicle emissions.
By 2025, Bhutan aims to increase its sales of hydroelectric power to offset 22. 4 million tons of carbon emissions annually. Suriname’s commitment to sustainability is a testament to the potential of these countries to contribute to a more sustainable future.
What are the top 3 sources of greenhouse gas emissions?
The United States has been significantly impacted by greenhouse gases, with human activities being the primary cause of these emissions. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation. The EPA tracks total U. S. emissions by publishing the Inventory of U. S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, which estimates the total national greenhouse gas emissions and removals associated with human activities across the country by source, gas, and economic sector.
Transportation is the largest source of direct greenhouse gas emissions, with over 94 percent of the fuel used being petroleum-based. Electricity production, which includes emissions from other end-use sectors like industry, accounts for 60 percent of U. S. electricity in 2022. Industrial emissions are the third largest source of direct emissions, accounting for a much larger share of U. S. greenhouse gas emissions when indirect emissions are allocated to the industrial end-use sector.
Commercial and residential sectors also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, with fossil fuels burned for heat, gases used for refrigeration and cooling in buildings, and non-building specific emissions such as waste handling. These sectors account for a much larger share of U. S. greenhouse gas emissions when emissions are distributed to these sectors.
Agriculture emissions come from livestock, agricultural soils, and rice production, with indirect emissions from electricity use in agricultural activities accounting for about 5 percent of direct emissions. Land use and forests can act as both sinks and sources of greenhouse gas emissions, with managed forests and other lands offsetting 13 of total gross greenhouse gas emissions since 1990.
Who are the top 10 greenhouse gas emitters?
In 2020, the top ten greenhouse gas emitters were China, the United States, India, the European Union, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Japan, Iran, and Canada. These countries accounted for approximately 67 of total greenhouse gas emissions. Land use changes, including energy, agriculture, forestry, and land use change, also contributed to these emissions. Net global greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, forestry, and other land use were approximately 12 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent, or about 21 of total global emissions.
In areas like the United States and Europe, changes in land use associated with human activities partially offset emissions from deforestation in other regions. These changes in land use contribute to the overall greenhouse gas emissions.
What is the world’s only carbon free country?
Despite the fact that numerous countries are experiencing difficulties in reducing their emissions, Bhutan, the sole nation with a negative carbon footprint, is garnering global recognition for its climate change policies. The commitment of Bhutanese villages to environmental sustainability is being demonstrated by the fact that they are being visited on the Snowman trek.
📹 #CallOnCOP – Juan Bol, Belize- English
One Young World delegate Juan Bol from Belize addresses his Prime Minister and Ministers in the Ministry of Agriculture, …
Tip: If you have the land, don’t mount the panels on your home’s roof. I have them mounted on my pole barn, workshop. and out in the yard providing shade for my dogs…but not my home’s roof. No problem with homeowners insurance and since I preformed the installation myself, no weird leases with shady companies. I also don’t have them tied into the grid because our utility is a pain when it comes to solar. In my area, AC is a must…so they provide the majority of the power demand that my HVAC system needs during the hot summer months. The electric utility still gets some money, just not nearly as much…and I have basic power when hurricanes come thru thanks to battery backup and a small generator.
When I had solar put on my house, I entertained a couple of these company’s sales pitches. What they didn’t know is that I did enough research to know what the panels and inverters cost, how many I would need to achieve my goals, and the efficiency for different parts of my roof to fit 50 panels. I was quoted $45k-$65k total price for ~$20k in materials. They had no answer on why the costs were so high when I showed them the retail prices of the components used (exact panels and inverters). I ended up finding a contractor to do the install, purchased the panels and pulled the permits myself. My total cost was $28k before my 30% federal rebate. There are many people that seem to be against solar due to ignorance in the comments. In many cases, solar may not ever pay for itself. In my case, it will do this in < 8 years. I'm almost 3 years into this journey and have produced 57.4MWh in electricity on my roof. My average electricity bill was $260 and now I average $10/mo ($25 when the FU minimum kicks in). I did a time-lapse of my installation: youtube.com/watch?v=_oquw-f5Wm8
That’s the CONTRACTOR’S fault ! As a framing and remodeling contractor I take it upon myself to check regulations in every area I do work as all places are different as to what permits you need, what they cost, or if they are required at all. Most homeowners have NO IDEA about regulations where they live unless they are some type of contractor themselves. Very unprofessional on the part of that company.
This is not the “dark side of solar power”. This is the “dark side of dishonest contractors”. We get it here in Australia too. The solar industry has grown so rapidly that too many “sharks” have made their way in and consumer protection authorities are having a tough time weeding them out. We have many people extremely happy with their solar and slashing their power bills selling power back to the electrical utility, or like ourselves, living off the grid completely. But buyer beware – you need a reputable installer who knows what they’re doing!
General Motors had a Solar Program back in the 70’s. My dad was a part of it, and even brought home the injection molded prototypes for testing the shrinkage of the cured plastic against the tempered glass panels that would often explode if the plastic shrank too much. Fun times. Solar could have been far more mainstream had GM stayed with it, but they gave it up in ’79, and my dad was devastated. He retired soon after.
Several years someone else in my household arranged for a solar salesman come out to provide an estimate. I started by asking how much a system would cost. He spent the next 45 – 60 minutes avoiding the question. During that time he spent a lot of effort trying to convince me the system would “only cost $X per month”. He seemed confused by me asking what the total cost of the system would be. So I explained: “material + labor + margin = total cost”. When he eventually told me the total price, something around $25,000, I thanked him and sent him on his way. He asked if I was going to buy the system, and when I told him “no” he wanted to know why. I told him I did not have the money, and I thanked him for telling me the price, and once I saved up that money, I would call him. He demanded to know why I wasted his time if I was never going to buy the system. I explained to him that I never wasted his time, he wasted his time and mine, because he spent so much of his time avoiding my question. Had he just answered my question, I would have dismissed him much sooner. The reality is this is over a quarter life commitment for most people. Some of us prefer to pay for power as we go, not finance it for decades. Additionally, when you consider we have most cost effective ways to improve energy efficiency, those options have a greater ROI. For example, if you have single pane aluminum frame windows, you would get a quicker ROI on new energy efficient double pane windows. Or if you have a 10 SEER R22 air conditioner, perhaps upgrading to a newer multi-stage compressor AC would have a greater ROI.
As someone who works in solar in NY, I’ve never heard of a company being so incompetent as to not get the basic paper work and permitting done. That being said NY also has a completely different way you can purchase solar without having to spend 100k on panels and the system. I keep in touch with my customers here in NY especially those in my town and have yet to hear a story like this.
This is actually very important to report on. I had two solar panel companies quote us on solar install for price and capacity. Even when I realized that the math worked out to little to negative benefit, they still tried to sell the system to us. I don’t particularly blame them for it but be VERY aware of anything this expensive.
I am the woman in the report. After reading these comments, I am surprised at the amount of negativity we received from people we are trying to inform and help. I am aware that some of you feel superior and think this could never happen to you because you are so smart. I hope you are correct. But, when you are lied too and make decisions that affect your family based on those lies, you won’t be feeling so superior. Randy did a wonderful job investigating this company. There is even a part 2 that reports about the federal solar tax credit that is also part of the company’s lies. Even with all the exposure from Randy, there are more facts than he could cover on the limited time given for the report to air. So let me help some of you who are unable to understand how this could possibly happen. 1) my husband and I have a large home with a family of five as well as a hobby farm. Our power bill runs around $500 a month during the summer (We have two HVAC units), we run around $400 during the winter, and around $300 in fall and spring months. In 25 years we would have paid at least $120,000 to the electric company. So, $91,000 over the same time with only a $320 solar bill seemed like a better deal. 2) we were told our electric company participated in Net metering. This meant we would receive point for point return on what we give back to the grid. So, if we pushed 30 kwh to the grid, that would remove 30 kwh we might use from the grid at night or on cloudy days. Eventually we would not have a bill at all and we would be paid for what we produced.
This is interesting because when I lived in California prior to 2015, we had 6,000 watts of solar installed in a ground mount system. At that time there were Federal tax and utility company rebates available. Our system did reduce our electric bill and had around a 9-10 year amortization of the system. I could look at the meter on a sunny day with low load and watch the meter spin backwards. It kept us out of tier three and four, which is where it got expensive. We were on a well and had a pool in an area where it could get to 110 degrees on a hot day. The cost of these systems from what was shown in this article is outrageous.
When sales people knock at my door, somehow the dog slips out, and they quickly move on. DON’T GIVE SOLICITORS THE TIME OF DAY. I have been told every imaginable lie by door-to-door sales people. That’s not to say they’re all bad. Due diligence & research required. YOU need to be the one to initiate the process.
I live in the Netherlands and installed my own solar system with 10 panels 3-phase system (Enphase certified). Reduced my grid dependency by 63% and my electrical cost by 50%. Total cost for the solar system $4000.00. Now I am installing my home battery and reducing my cost by another 25%. The mentioned prices $ 40.000 – 90.000 are insane. The going rate here in Europe is approx. $ 1000 – 1250 / kW wp
And don’t forget that you’ve got to put it on top of a brand new roof because when it comes time to get a new roof (like some insurance companies may require), you’ll be paying extra to have the solar panels removed while the roof is replaced. Don’t forget to ask solar panel companies about this when shopping!
I’ve worked on the roofing industry for several decades. Solar installations on residential properties are an absolute nightmare. Have seen relatively new roofs destroyed during PV installation, forcing the owner to pay for removal of the solar system as well as a new roof. Hire a professional roof consultant/inspector to review the flashing system and inspecting the installation.
My brother built a very large new home in North Texas about 20 years ago and he installed solar panels on ground level steel structures away from the house so they could optimize the angle and to ensure they never got any shade from the house or landscape. He also installed a wind generator. I asked him once how it was working out long term after they had been in service for over 10 years. He repaired the wind generator a couple of times and replaced it once but overall he was very happy and he figured it payed for itself a couple of times over. The solar on the other hand he didn’t think it was ever going to break even even though he was in an optimal location with no shade and at the optimum angle to the sun. The average homeowner could save more money and greatly reduce the amount of energy they consume by investing in real serious upgrades to their home, substantial insulation and air leakage work, as well as much higher efficiency heating and cooling equipment. Forget about replacement windows unless they need replacement for other reasons, you will never get your money back in energy savings on windows. Keep in mind that almost all builders install the least efficient heating and cooling equipment allowed because it’s also the cheapest.
Going off-grid or buying a grid tied system should be a trouble-free experience. Its sad to learn that there are so called “professional” companies charging insane amounts of money and not even providing a fully functioning permitted system. These individuals should be held accountable and loose their license at the city, county, state level. A complaint with the Attorney General, BBB, and others may help. Suing them in court also.
I love how the company threw their employees under the bus for “failing to follow their sales ethics policies”. Those companies know exactly why they have such written policies… Because they tell their employees and customers about their “very ethical” policies, but then word of mouth within the company will contradict everything those policies say to maximize their sales.
I’ve been using Bluetti AC200MAX generator with three 285 watt panels and my electric bill is reduced by 60%. Also, if I need to take the generator anywhere like camping, or to a job site for equipment all I have to do is load it in the truck. I keep the panels plugged in and it is running my TV, Stereo, Computer, living room lights, guitar amplifier, microphones. I’d never put on FIXED PANEL SYSTEM. Going Portable is the way to go. I haven’t got the money to buy an additional battery yet but maybe next year. But when the power goes out…NOT IN MY HOUSE. Thank you Bluetti.
I was so close to sign up for the solar energy but since I live alone, my electric bill is $40 a month. If I got the solar panels, I’d have to pay $89 a month and if I don’t surrender my credit to solar, it’ll bump my solar payment to $149 a month for 15 years. 149 plus my regular $40 electric bill, $189 a month for 15 years! When I canceled my order before anything can happen, the salesmanship supervisor call me to try to save the sale. He was extremely aggressive and always asks me why, why, why. I got mad and started giving him smart-ass awnsers. I know I dodged a bullet.
I was really close to buying solar one year.Had a contract signed. I crunched the numbers and realized more than 80% of my payments would be going to interest until my tax credit kicked in. Also the interest alone was actually larger than my average bill. The solar company didn’t know how to respond to that. Contract cancelled.
A 25 year contract for solar is nuts. I’d never sign anything like that except for a mortgage. I learned a good lesson when a company tried to sell me what they called an energy package (which turned out was basically to add insulation in my attic) which they said would save me $97 a month on gas. When I read the contract I found out that the contract was for 10 years. If I had gone with it, it would have cost me a ton over those 10 years. Much cheaper to have it done and pay the cost right away even if you have to borrow from the bank.
The truth of the matter is almost all of those salespeople are “independent contractors” and those companies put pressure on them to make sales and those people flat out lie to your face as a result. The companies know it and the salespeople know they are lying. Never buy anything from a door to door salesperson. I just saw a story of an elderly couple on Texas who got scammed on solar and the company would not reply. After the couple contacted the local news, then all of a sudden the company replied, threw their salespeople under the bus, canceled the contract, reimbursed any monies they had paid, removed the solar and repaired their roof for free. Personally, that seems to be quite expensive. Why not just give them the unit for free and make sure it works? I have bought 2 houses in new subdivisions and salespeople are everywhere. Thank God for these article doorbell cameras. I never answer when they come knocking.
I am a Solar Salesman in Los Angeles and I can say that everything about this article is what annoys me the most about this industry. A few points to make. 1: Solar is absolutely legit when done correctly. Solar is simply math and science. 2: I absolutely hate companies like the one featured in this article. They are the reason some people have a negative perception toward Solar. They are overcharging people for their systems, and on top of that lying to homeowners about the amount of kWh their systems will produce. They prey on the ignorance of people and take advantage. Having said that, this brings me to my third point… 3: Ignorant homeowners who don’t do their due diligence as a BUYER are unfortunately adding to the problem as well. Like I said, Solar is simply math and science. A typical residential solar power system usually costs between $20,000-$80,000 depending on the system size. As a homeowner you should be doing adequate research so you have an understanding of how solar power systems work. You should then gather your own kWh you have used over the last full year by looking at your bills or calling your utility company so you know how much electricity you need. When buying a solar system, you should always be looking to get a system that will produce about 15% more annual kWh then what your current usage levels are. 115% offset. By having that extra 15% you are able to collect a 1:1 credit for any excess energy produced by your system. Then at night while your system isn’t producing power but you are still using electricity, you won’t be charged by the utility company because you will be using your credits.
Thanks for telling us about this scam. To me this is criminal not a civil matter only. It should be felony fraud punishable for up to 3 years in prison for each victim. I think there should be a law that buyers can record all sales pitches, whether for a vehicle, solar, time share, etc. Lawmakers need to act and stop this now. Always get at least 3 estimates and look at the reviews of the company. A 25 year warranty will not help you if your solar company is out of business in 7 years. My 7200 watt solar system costs just under $26,000 and I’m over producing by 30kwatts a day or more. When summer comes, there will be less overproduction as I will use my a/c more. I live in a California desert.
These scammers should be prosecuted. We are happy with our Solar and Powerwalls. Between the two we have no electric usage charges and pay only a $20-ish/mo. connection free to have a grid connection. Previously we had electrical bills ranging from $150-400/mo. More importantly for us, we work from home and cannot work without power. So far, we have not had any outages even when the rest of the area is without power.
Any “utility” contractor should be able to tell you EXACTLY what permits are required in your county. And should be itemized in the costs. The costs for home solar doing it through these companies are INSANE. You also would have to live in your home for 10-15 years to even break even on the costs BEFORE you see any reduction or “elimination” of grid power billing.
This didn’t even scratch the surface of all of the things that can go wrong. In August of 2020, I decided that since my roof needed replacing and that we sometimes have power blackouts, I’d replace my roof with solar shingles and connect that to three Tesla powerwalls. First off, the process is painfully slow and opaque. There were a lot of issues, but the worst part of all, two weeks before construction, once everything was agreed upon and I already had financing lined up, Tesla increased the price by 25%!!! And they had already come out to inspect the job and I have a super simple roof line. I cancelled. My friend got solar panels with two powerwalls and while they didn’t mess with his price, they took THREE FULL MONTHS **AFTER FINISHING** to finally turn the system on, with the power company blaming Tesla and vice versa. It can even get worse than that. In some cases, people have gone through the entire construction, only to be told by the power company, “Oh, but we don’t have the ability to accept backfed power! Why didn’t your installer tell you that???” There’s more. Even if everything goes PERFECTLY, remember, the town can change what they pay for your solar at any time. Let’s say you’re paying 10 cents/Kwh and they buy it back at 6 cents. Well what happens if they say to you one day, “Yeah, we’re now only going to pay you 4.5 cents.”? Does that all of a sudden screw up the affordability of the system? Well you have no recourse if they do that. The industry is in too much flux.
My brother (a licensed contractor, former roofer, commercial roof design drafter and well-read person) was called by a solar salesman. When he invited a solar salesperson in to talk, he just kept a notepad running of the lies, errors and omissions from the spiel. When the guy paused, my brother explained everything that he was wrong about including the licensing/permitting requirements, the state’s rules about “selling” power back to the grid (you can only build credit against your bill in our state, never get paid), the salesman’s incorrect measurements of the roof joists, and whether or not there could be a storage mattery installed in the house (there could not, because National Grid lobbied VERY well in the state). The salesman packed up and left without giving a quote or leaving a business card.
I had a system installed 5 yrs ago and got quotes from Powerhome and another large national company and both quotes (50K) were much higher than what I ended up paying a local installer in Michigan (29K) for a superior system. Five years and going strong. Until covid forced us into work from home, had no power bills Mar-Nov. 1 year not until January. Is working as exactly as advertised. Wherever there is money to be made there are going to be grifters, shop around. Look for reputable local businesses that have been around for a while. They tend to treat customers better
Interesting take on this. When my solar was installed, they wouldn’t touch anything till all permits were in place and inspections were done. I paid $16k for twenty 400 watt panels. With state and federal tax credits, I ended up paying $10k out of pocket. Had the system for 3 years and I just paid it off. So far, super happy. People just need to do their research.
I installed my own 5kW solar PV system 7-years ago and my power bill has been: $10.20/month, which is my utility company’s connection fee. I overproduce from my solar every month, and we have net-metering. The shady, dishonest sales reps. should definitely be fired for overpromising and flat-out lying as solar is a GREAT investment, when you pick an honest, legit company.
Good report! I’m outside of Houston, Texas and work as a commercial HVAC tech, so I have some electrical knowledge. My neighbor got a solar package with battery and all the promises. In addition, my neighbor had to get permission from surrounding homeowners to install system. My neighbor misrepresented the scope of the system or I would have warned him. The Solar company installed panels on backside of roof that faces “away” from the sun. You heard correct. A complete swindle. 30 year financing and neighbor put solar panels onto an older roof. His composition roof needs replacing and it will cost $10,000 to remove panels and reinstall panels after new roof is installed. That doesn’t include cost of new roof. Ouch!
I live in Arizona. LOTS of sunlight here. I have seen ad after ad after ad saying the state and feds will pay for, or SUBSTANTIALLY reduce the installation of your solar system. I don’t have a large home it’s a solid 1,200 sq ft home. My cost to install $83,000. Not one cent of it is covered by the state or federal government. When I asked them about it, every one of them said that’s not entirely true. If the system works, the supposed reduction in monthly bill is supposed to offset the initial outlay. Hmmm. Seemed like NONE of it was true. IMHO it’s a complete misrepresentation and scam.
Don’t blame “Solar Power” for the bad experiences related to these shady companies.. that is just as misleading as these companies were.. The title of this article seems intentionally irresponsible, although the reporting was excellent. However, the cases in this article are not the normal experiences. For example: A family member of mine has a $12k solar panel system and pays an average of $16 a month in electric. No issues, no scams. Standard 2 bedroom house with electric cooktop.
There are very few solar companies that are honest and have realistic prices. Most will gladly rob you blind and even expect the government to pay for that theft. Even if I had enough tax liability to justify the full credits. The whole cost over the years is not worth it. It is better to buy the equipment yourself and then DIY it, or pay an honest person to install it. I was a victim of Fluent Solar, but when it came to power company permitting I stopped the process. The fact my name wasn’t on the power bill and I let them know how much of a den of thieves they are. They said we are not a good match and will cancel the contract with no penalties. They said that because there are more gullible people to rob out there.
I always knew, it’s a scam!!! I don’t understand how in the world someone is coming to my property, putting their stuff on my own property, basically using my own space for collecting energy that they need. And instead to pay me for rent and collection a natural supply from my own property, they want me to pay them😢 this is so insane…
Every time I roll by a home with solar on the roof I feel sad for them. I have know 3 people with solar and their bills went from managable to hundredes a month. They went from normal happy people to stressed out mental health cases. If you value your wallet and mental health you will tell any solar salesman that comes to your door to F*** right off your property.
Solar companies often claim that their panels will wipe out your electricity bill, but from my experience, that’s not always the case. In a recent incident, a specific company was exposed for making such promises, but many make similar claims. Moreover, there’s limited regulation on electricity companies. They seemingly operate as they wish, adjusting their policies on a whim and later justifying it as a “company decision”. Consequently, some solar users find themselves paying both their electricity bill and the loan for their solar system. Consider this: 25 years down the line, you might need to replace the system. So, if you’re thinking of going solar and financing it for 25 years, you might want to reconsider. In the long run, you could end up with even more bills, and face the inevitability of replacing the system. Nothing lasts forever. I’ve had my solar system for three years and I’ve yet to see a zero-dollar electricity bill. It feels like these electricity companies are finding clever ways to get more from our pockets.
This is happening nation wide. I’m from Arizona and a similar thing happen to me. Listen if you don’t want an electric bill for 25 years just give your electric company $50,000 or $60,000 upfront and tell them to bill you once those funds are used. So many reasons why solar is over hyped and not good for people like myself.
“Well Regulated” my shiney metal butt. I spent $1200 for my DIY Solar backup system. If Grid fails, spouse of 50 years can flip a switch in the utility room and ALL the 120v circuits come back on, Lights, Frig, Microwave, computers,TV, Hair dryer, coffee maker, dishwasher, fans. everything that’s not 220v. Mounted my panels in the back yard. If the sun doesn’t shine enough my backup backup gas generator will fire up and charge the Solar Batteries. My defense against the Texas ERCOT GRID Failing. No point in back feeding the GRID as they only pay 4 cents a kilowatt hour. Don’t buy a solar system if you have to finance it…
20 percent of the panels on my five year old system have failed at this point, five years old. The only way I can get them to cover the last panel failed panel under warranty was to put them on social media blast blast. Instagram, YouTube and Yelp. I am a customer with a negative electric bill by the way. But it took more than the panels to make that happen.
Glad to have seen this. I almost got caught with this system, and decided to pull the plug on everything when I noticed all their “smart” devices they installed in the house before moving forward with the pannels did not help, instead, my bill went up, all they were designed to do was monitor me, not save me money. And where I drew the line was, when they started asking personal questions in their monthly reports like, how many people came to your house during lockdowns. Wtf does that have to do with my electricity?…
The home I purchased just recently came with an already paid for solar system. I started deep diving into how my electrical company bills per kwH, how much they pay for energy you send them, and the TOU (time of use) plans they offer. Depending on what billing plan you use, if you get a kwH allotment per month, or if you use TOU, it can drastically change your bill. I would recommend anyone considering getting a system do their own research, and do not listen to what the installers tell you. I found that while the electrical company charges between .23 to .69 cents per kwH depending on time of day, they only buy back at .01 cent! After finding that out, I changed my pool pump schedule and EV charging schedule to operate when the solar panels are generating the most power, as the electrical company will just rob you blind. Another good option is to get a battery backup that provides power to your home only during peak usage times (usually 4pm-9pm). I feel for these homeowners!
I get door to door solar salesmen every few months. The last one told me I should get solar before the government starts charging me $1500/yr for not having solar. If they do pass a law forcing ppl to get solar it will just get over turned in a few years like every other unconstitutional law they try to pass. You can’t force everyone to buy things.
People are still falling for this scam in 2022? Always check your local zoning laws before hiring ANY contractor. The roof is one of the most expensive & hard to get to aspect of your home. Protect its damage! If you have homeowners insurance then it’s in your best interest to prevent it’s damage for a temporary gamble.
$91,976.00 broken down into 25 years is $3,679 a year, average annual cost of electricity is $2,700 a year. Now they have no roof warranty because they drilled holes to mount the ugly panels, now they are going to be charged thousands to remove the panels within the 25 year term to do roof work. Will the batteries last 25 years? Is it under warranty for 25 years? How much does the 3000 watt battery cost? Suckers!!!
Unfortunately, shady solar companies do exist. This should not be a reason to discard the overall effort to shift to a renewable energy grid (and benefit from long term savings in the process – something which varies site to site based primarily on shade and roof orientation and shape). I’ve worked as a solar installer and designer for multiple companies whose sales departments openly and honestly convey the facts, and whose installers apply the highest level of craftsmanship possible. Potential solar customers should shop around and consult companies like these before buying from companies like Powerhome.
It’s bad people take advantage of anyone. It’s soooo important to do your homework first to make sure you’re dealing with someone who is really shooting it straight. The right system can eliminate the typical power bill if it is configured correctly priced accurately for each home. It doesn’t take long to weed out the crooks. 🤷♂️
I have seen new 100 watt panels selling on Amazon and eBay for $100 each. A dozen panels and the accessories will only cost a few thousand total and provide enough power to offset most of the energy your ac system uses during the summer. Cities really should make building permits free and easier to apply for.
In 1990 in New Jersey, the local power company did an inspection on my house, to install all sorts of improvements, so I asked what the payback break even period was estimated at, and they sent me a nice printout listing all the costs and payback period. As it turns out, if there was never a problem or expense associated with all my new toys, I could break even in only a little over 57 years. LMFAO
Excellent exposé. I had a company from Arizona come from out of state to try to pitch me. They seem far more honest and the system was about $30,000 and they never said replace the power bill just reduce it. But even they could not resist the ticking time bomb “sign up now” gimmick of telling me that the fourth person in the neighborhood would have to pay the entire charge of upgrading the transformer. I never sign up with people using high pressure tactics. Also I’m convinced the majority of these companies just want to sell you the loan and collect interest on your debt, nothing else.
i went solar late last year, 7.1 kw system for $18k, (no battery backup btw). so far so good. I went live in october and had no bill in november, but had a bill in dec, jan, and feb albeit lower than previous year. March, april, and may 2022 i’ve only paid $2.71 which is the connection fee. I am hopeful that i will continue to stack net metering credits for next winter and zero out. FYI if you do plan on going solar get a lot of quotes, energysage is a good place to start. Also improving the energy efficiency of your house should be a higher priority. I only went solar after i had replaced all of my windows, and my ancient HVAC system.
My friend worked for a security company in Atlanta, and they constantly taught their employees how to successfully pad the quotes and sell the inflated pricing. The attitude was, “Once we have their signature on the contract it’s too late for them to back out.” They also told my friend that he could place his flyers on or in mailboxes, and if the USPS said anything they would tell the USPS that he was being “retrained” or disciplined. But he was told nothing would be done to him. If the potential client balked when one of the “top sales people” got caught “stretching the truth”, the manager would have an honest sales person take over and do whatever was needed to retain the customer to keep things quiet. So you never know if it’s really the companies pushing the line until they get caught. The best thing to do is ask what equipment will be installed, research the pricing on that equipment and read up on its capabilities, check with your city on what permits are needed for what is to be installed and have it written into the contract that the company will pull the permits, and in this case, find out what your green energy number is. Also, READ THE FINE PRINT! Always! You can ask for a copy of the contract to read.
I work at a solar company in the service department. There are a lot of problems that occur, especially in the summer. That’s the conundrum. When you are banking on a lot of sunlight in the summer time, that’s when most of the problems occur with the heat. You have hardware such as inverters, optimizers, wiring, and the modules themselves. All of these can have issues that need to be maintained which will cause your production to go down while there are problems. This causes you to lose out on your credits you built up over the year, causing you to have an energy bill some times. These problems will only get worse in the future with the global temperature rising. Also, the humidity in a place like Arkansas where I live, can get into the hardware and therefore needs to be replaced. Not to mention hail damage, straight line winds, bypass diode failures. People expect since it’s hardware, that it should work flawlessly once installed. That’s just not gonna happen, and it should be on the solar company to explain these things. Of course almost all sales people have to stretch the truth when giving a pitch to a customer. However, the customer should also do more research on this stuff before they drop over $50,000 on a project. The proposal and contract they sign are drawn up expecting the system to never have problems ever. But that’s just not realistic
Me and my husband almost made this same mistake with buying solar panels, as of right now anyway I am thankful for the guy who put me onto the reviews and learned all this and decided to read the entirety of our contract and was able to back out without repercussions cause nothing was done yet. Thank God
Right now, with full grid electric, I’m paying about $275 a month in the summer and roughly a third of that in the winter for power, so according to my quick napkin math, even if I got solar from one of these companies and it got me the more conservative 41-49% power bill reduction, I’d still be paying nearly double what I do now with their “financing” plan… That’s gonna be a nope from me dawg.
Adding solar to our home was the best home improvement decision we’ve made. Shame that some companies out there are charging way too much and over promising. We are billed $109 mo for 23 years, for a 9.7kW 20 panel system but works out to just $40/mo after generating an excess avg of $69 worth of electricity, that either stays as a credit or we get cashed out as an annual true up. Sad to learn that some folks don’t have 1:1 net metering with their utility company. If not for these benefits, I’d be benefiting far less from my panels. Given the cost to power ratio and optimal placement (they are southern facing and shadowless) I feel very fortunate to have such a high ROI after perusal this article. If you’re looking at adding solar, shop around, get a minimum of three quotes, check with the BBB or your neighbors who have solar, the written minimum guaranteed annual generation, and carefully review terms & conditions including your right to cancel. I went with Sunrun and my neighbor went with Tesla. He actually got the better deal, as he pays close to what I do, but for 24 panels to my 20, and his system is 19% more efficient on average, plus got a PowerWall included where I had to buy the my battery and smart panel separately. In hind sight, I honestly should have just waited for Tesla (they were about 5 months out from being able to install at the time, and Sunrun said they could start in a few weeks) but overall, I’m still very satisfied with my panels.
The utility companies have changed their billing system to bill separately for delivery and for usage. You can cut your usage, but the other charges remain the same. The only way to beat them is to go totally off grid and you will need a large solar array for that. Going off grid can trigger other problems as well, including DCFS, you could lose your kids.
The first thing to be said about this is how the story is constructed as if solar energy is the problem rather than the select companies. These things occur in literally every industry I’ve worked in. Bigger companies only value metrics. Look at big banks, telecoms, and even media companies like fox, etc. The average employee isn’t made aware of caveats and they’re likely informed incorrectly to begin with. I’ve been the sales guy for a huge telecom. All of the info I had received regarding our systems was garbage and it wasn’t until an installer yelled at me that I was even made aware. Stop believing things that are too good to be true.
$345 a month? I run a business from my house that requires lots of electricity and our electric bill is never even that much! On the other hand.. we don’t go for the silly free nights and weekends or you don’t have to pay when your baby daddy got the kids type of gimmick. We pay for what we use… period.
I am a qualified electrician in South Africa, I built a totally off grid system for R27000 for my house. Due to load shedding in our country, I do not know how much it saved on my fridges and freezer working during power outages as the food stayed fresh, but I consider it to be pre paid electricity and am slowly recouping my losses, so far the solar panels are paid for after 2 years, still have the solar charger, inverter and batteries to recoup before any savings.
Wow, bought a new 3 bdrm bungalow 10 yrs ago in a very nice area for less than 60, 000.00 in Ga 10 yrs ago. 😰 so happy I came across this article, I’m getting bombarded with calls, pop-ups, and commercials for solar energy panels. I was thinking that it couldn’t be more than 25,000.00 and the company would get all of the necessary permits, better to check into water filtration system. My electric bill isn’t high enough to invest in this.
Lots of these companies also just massively over-spec the systems and the consumer must defend themselves against that. Keep in mind that all the energy that can’t be used, stored or sold is simply lost. During that time, you’ve got a money-pit on the roof. People buy so many panels that their batteries are fully charged in 2h of sun, what for? Or they buy enough batteries to run their house for 3+ days and the level never dips below 80%, what for? If you don’t have net-metering or the ability to sell back to the grid, a big system simply extends your payback period without any benefit at all. Start relatively small with ~3000W in panels all on the optimal side of your roof, a single 6-8 KW battery and a 5-8 KW inverter. This should be sufficient for most 2-5 person households, especially if you do cooking/heating with gas. Run it for a year so you can see the performance over all 4 seasons. Then, expand if you need to e.g. more panels on a different face so you get the rising and falling sun. Add a battery if your battery level is <40% in the morning. Also practice load shifting: instead of running e.g. a tumble dryer at night, run it during the day. These particular companies are scummy indeed but there's no substitute for an educated consumer. Also, tuning your inverter settings to suite your actual usage is much better than having a larger, unoptimized setup.
This is EXACTLY what my family is going through right now! I cannot get any help. Our loan is for 90,000. We were promised a payment of 266 per month but in all actuality it is 381.19 a month. Our consumers energy bill was supposed to be reduced to 9% and solar would cover 91%. this is not happening at all! They will not help us and our salesman said almost exactly what this guy was saying to the lady in this episode. We are in Michigan. Is there anyone that can help us? Please!
So Yes I made a Comment 1 year ago on here. So I kept Track of my Power Bill for One Full Year. I Do Not have Solar Panels at all. I do have LED Light bulbs. My power Bill Avgs around $120 per Month. so out of that $70,000 quote that was giving at 3:15 in the article. Giving that my Power bill is around $120 per Month. I has roughly around 48 years before I reach $70,000. So yeah. I Don’t Have a Reason for Solar Panels.
Andrew was way wrong. Systems produce LESS in the summer than homeowners typically use. That is why net metering is crucial. Extra production is accumulated in months like march, april, and May so when the summer hits and the system produces less power, the bills are typically just the connection fee because you tap into the extra credits.
A lot of this has to do with the politicians folks elect on a local and state level and the commissions, some which are extremely crooked. Thankfully in NV our leadership managed to keep the electric company in check and allow consumers to have legitimate solar options that are financially viable. Our solar was also substantially cheaper than what these folks paid. 80 a month over 20 years, summer bills went from 350 to about 60~80 and in the winter we’re negative and do bank credits, not actual cash reimbursements. Folks really need to push for politicians in these areas that aren’t as crooked with energy AND laws on the books that will keep predatory companies in check. It’s been done in other states successfully, it can happen in these places too.
I’ve worked for a solar company for a few years and the best advice I can give anyone is understand what you’re getting before you sign anything. While you’re discussing the specifics with the salesman you’ll toss a lot of numbers and terms around before you settle on anything concrete. This is where a lot of problems start for everyone. If you use a lot of power in the day (in a lot of cases there is a lot of people in the home or someone is home consistently) getting the right production and offset is the most important thing to understand. If you have a low consumption (few people in the home and you live energy efficient) sometimes getting solar is pointless. If you get the right offset the amount you pay on the panels will be lower than your electric bill. Another important thing to remember is back up power systems like batteries will almost definitely cost more than your regular electric bill. But that’s the price to pay if you want power during an outage. You pay more per month but if you like in an area that has frequent outages it may be worth it to you. Batteries are a new technology and until manufacturing companies get a grip on cost to produce vs efficiency they will typically be pretty pricey. But in a few years (a decade and a half or even less) I don’t expect that to be the case. My last piece of advice is research your utility company and how they operate with solar. Some utilities are extremely solar friendly and have some loose rules to getting it. Others are extremely strict and will restrict your offset so even if you want to get a lot of panels they’ll cut you down to a smaller amount.
Something else people don’t seem to give any thought. Electric vehicles will reduce carbon footprint. Maybe, but how much, if any? If 80% of the population in the US purchased electric vehicles this year, what happens to the power grid? Some states struggle to maintain demand as it is. So the problem would be down power grids while tens-of-millions vehicles charge every night at homes and businesses which would result it massive grid failures during peak seasons. So the fix would be build more power plants over a couple decades while the power grid is more unstable. Then how does that effect the carbon footprint? California grid systems are failing now, add 20 million more electric vehicles charging every day! Solar can be a benefit, just like electric vehicles, but at what cost? The politicians, media and sales people highlight the positives, but they all avoid talking about the negatives. I designed a industrial facility, they wanted it to be LEED certified building. They spent additional $31.2M on solar, lighting, HVAC, insulation, low flow plumbing fixtures and other items to have a very high efficient industrial facility. I continued to question the upfront cost to meet those standards. All of the high efficiency sounds great, right? After the facility was open for approximately 6 months and in full operation, they had a team come in to do an analysis on the energy efficient building, upfront cost vs return on investment. The return on their $31.2M investment was calculated at 39.
Solar technology works, but it’s just too expensive. Bottom Line is; you are better off just paying your electricity bill in most of the US. I have full home solar in South FL, and I still have a monthly electric bill, although it is about 2/3 cheaper than it was before solar but once you combine the solar payment with the insurance required to have the panels and the reduced electric bill I pay about $50 more per month than when I just paid the electric bill. Also, I have big ugly panels on the roof of my home.
Between 1974 and 1980 my firm built several solar homes. However, they were thermal, hot air systems, which are low tech, but about 3 times more efficent that photovoltaic. We also incorprated ground thermal wicking, heat exchangers on vents, and super insulation. We bonded their performance and had very happy clients.
Did these home owners woke up one day and decide hey let’s get solar on the first company they contact without doing any kind of research? Almost 58k for 7kw system? Are they fkng insane? For that price they could have gotten at least double the wattage and a pair of powewalls. If they’re dumb enough to pay that, then they deserve it. Talk about financial darwin award.
I live in central Florida where we get a lot of sun so I decided to get a quote on solar. Even if the solar provided 100% of my power usage which is unlikely, you add the $30 minimum charge from the power company that they would still charge every month and then the cost of the solar panels and the price I would have paid would have been much higher then my current electric bills. I obviously did not get the solar panels and now they keep calling me occasionally to see if I changed my mind and say they have additional discounts. I ask them to email me the new quote and they respond by saying a new sales representative has to come out to my house for a new assessment. My house has not changed at all since they were last out so obviously a bunch of BS.
Randy, thanks for that report. I have spoken with several solar company reps in the past year. I can tell you that the best offer I could get was about $35k Cash deal on a 12Kw system with no battery. The financing options are crazy. If you don’t buy the battery wall, that means if you loose power from the grid, you will loose power because the panels must have batteries, the grid or a generator to regulate the power. The rep that came to my house could not explain that! I had to research and learn that for myself. As much as I would like to reduce my power bill with Solar, I can’t justify the cost, even with the tax rebate. You said it was a credit, but I am fairly certain it is a Rebate, (unlike certain electric cars), meaning you do get 22% of the cost back. You also mentioned it 26% but that was a couple of years ago. They are phasing the credit out. It was extended in to 2022 at 22% but then it goes away.
I had to remove my system to redo a roof that was damaged by the solar install 4 years ago (company went bankrupt). I took the system off myself. Had it off for 4 months. No difference in my electricity bills. I attached the system at the 5th month. My bill went up. Its an absolute scam. – Southern California Resident
The fact that he instantly got nervous and refused to answer questions, means this wasn’t a misunderstanding on his part, it means he knew full well what he was just saying was completely false. If he believed it, he would have tried to explain what he was saying. I find it suspect that the company he works for claims this isn’t standard policy. Just the standard answer when caught being scummy.
We have so many people in my neighborhood who fell for these solar power scams. Every time a salesman rings my doorbell I cut them off before they even finish the first sentence and tell them I am not even slightly interested in what they are selling. Whatever you do, don’t invite these people into your home and let them run their hard sell tactics on you.
I installed my 10Kw system myself for a little over $6000. It’s been in operation for four years and on average it provides 75% of my power needs. My electric company has net metering. My lowest bill has been -$8 and my highest $45. Before solar my bills averaged around $120 a month so for me solar was worth it.
Its actually sinister to connect this mess up under a lie. Another crimminal part to this is that solar has been around for decades, available to residents, my cousin in Cincinnati had solar power on their home back in the late 80’s so the solar power thing is not new, but I guess the lies are. I have heard over the years that the utility company does not want residents to have this, Nd it makes sense, because if solar is so beneficial, how come it needs to connect into the power company?, it should provide enough power alone, and you should only need the power grid for heavy duty appliances and air conditioning usage, actually when individual solar is connected into the power supply, the power companies can steal power from the consumer
In Australia Solar panels on single house and grouped dwellings do not require development (planning) approval or a building permit. Depending on the type of solar panal they start at 6.6kw Package Tier 1 solar panels with a 25-year warranty. Wi-Fi enabled inverter with a 10-year warranty. Reliable installation service. Ideal for small homes. Starting at $2,799* no storage battery. I can`t believe that the cost being asked in the USA
It’s up to people to personally take responsibility in doing thorough research, getting multiple quotes, and to take the words of a salesperson with a grain of salt. Salespeople are people who are using their unique skill set to provide for themselves and their family ties just like everyone else… it is likely that if they did not employ aggressive sales tactics and exaggerate certain figures, that they may not make enough (given our garbage economy) to even provide for themselves, let alone their family. Any news org could go after anyone given the fact that they are attempting to “expose” so called corruption. The truth is, most people could be made to look bad if you project the insufficiencies of their surroundings and the corruption of our world and society today onto them instead. This vid made me more sympathetic for these solar companies and salespeople if anything.
This is serious reporting. Thank you. Wish I’d seen it before signing…. Fortunately it’s not too bad…. Small house. But definitely paying more per month overall than before when you consider the cost of the installation’s monthly payments added to electric company’s connection fee plus electric usage from the utility company. Especially in winter when there are so many cloudy gray days. Forget ever getting “a big fat check” from the utility company. That’s a joke.
I live in Australia and I am astonished at the prices quoted and paid in your report. Why is Solar so expensive in America? I was paid $500 for AGL (my Energy Provider) to put solar panels on my roof and entered a contract to pay AU$55 per month for seven years, all maintenance costs were covered and the only stipulation was AGL retained the Green Certificate. The system was installed 6 years ago and had no battery as the costs then were prohibitive. Recently AGL has offered two types of battery at approx AU$10,000 interest free over 10 year’s with the proviso that the unused supply is feed into the neighbourhood hub (local battery supply) that is then distributed as required locally. I am obviously credited for power supplied to the neighbourhood hub.
As soon as I saw a figure over $20k, I was like ‘they’ve been robbed’. An installation should be around $10-25k max. Solar edge, Longi, jinko, JA, Canadaian solar are great brands. For anyone looking to go solar, always get 3x quotes and pick the one that’s supplying a decent panel/inverter set up. 👍
So I was recently back on the job market and was looking for jobs online, a lot of these solar companies are promising INSANE commissions for their sales reps, and I think that’s the root of the problem. Basically they can try to upsell the people they talk to in order to maximize their commissions, and part of that is them making these insane promises to try to make the sale.
The margins on Solar are just insane. I just installed my own 10kw DC system (24x enphase IQ7+ and 24x TrinaSolar 410 panels) for $12500. That’s including engineered plans, permit fees, and everything to install it all down to the wire and grounding lugs. It took me (and a single buddy to help get panels on the roof) two 8hr days. Was SUPER easy after all the permitting red tape was done. Keep that $12.5k number in mind when you see these $60k system quotes for a system smaller than mine. And I’m just a guy buying all the (new) parts retail here and there. As a business buying parts wholesale I’d be even cheaper.
Each utility company is a little different. But solar is tricky because it can create a dangerous back-feed situation for linemen who think they are working on de-energized equipment. My local electric company does not offer net metering and does not pay you for any extra power you produce. I know that because I’d talked with them personally at one point. I later had a solar salesman come to my house to quote panels for me who claimed my meter would run backwards and the power company would pay me. I called him out on it. They also claimed I’d save some ridiculous amount of money, but the system’s monthly financing payment would have been more than my entire monthly electric bill! Their job is to get you to sign the contract. Often they know very little about solar systems, local electric codes, or local utility company policies. Be VERY skeptical of these companies.
I live in SoCal and have had solar for 5 years. My house is about 1300 SqFt(Small) and I have 12 solar panels through TeslaSolar. For me solar works great and really reduced my $500.00+ ele bill in the summer time to about $80.00 during summer months. I am also on a 20 year payment plan for the cost which was around $25000.00. Did not have monthly payments, it was every 3 months around $180.00. Solar is not for everyone/ everywhere. My area is very sunny, little rain, no snow or adverse weather conditions. This works out here for me but not so well on the east coast with weather changing. If you are going to get solar you need to shop around and defiantly get something like a powerwall that stores your collected energy. Good luck!
Our summer bills were $800+ in the summer months pre solar. We lowered it to a combined $290 with solar/eversource. The savings are less in winter and fall but still have some savings there as well. That said we had hurdles along the way that was only remedied after emailing the company CEO. We got everything fixed and it’s been working very well and saving money since.
This is exactly why I put my own off grid system together. Daily average production is 24 kWh a day and I still have 8 more panels sitting in my backyard I’m going to install. 2 months now with zero electricity from my utility. I have 2.5 days worth of battery back up that gets my 3 bedroom 2 story house through the night with no problem. We run everything in the house as we did when we were on utility power. I working on cutting the gas bill now.
When these companies go out of business which they seem to do within several years, customers lose their promised long-term warranties on the respective equipment provided. If a home fire occurs, burned solar panels release several toxic gases. Besides possibly losing the entire structure, the owner may be held accountable for anyone harmed by those toxins.