BUYER GUIDE · QUESTIONS THAT MATTER
Solar Quote Questions Worth Asking
A fast solar quote conversation usually centers on monthly payment, estimated savings, and system size. Those details matter, but they are not the whole contract. Production guarantees, dealer-fee structure, lien language, subcontractor disclosure, and warranty survival are the questions that make two proposals comparable. Good installers can answer them directly, and homeowners should hear those answers before signing.
“Some consumers have reported being told they would receive a federal tax credit equal to 26% of the cost of the system, only to find out later that they were ineligible for the credit, leaving them holding loan balances they cannot afford to repay.”
“What is your production guarantee, in kWh, not percent?”
A percent-based production guarantee, “we guarantee 90% of modeled production,” is nearly meaningless because the modeled production is itself an estimate the installer produced. A kWh-based guarantee, “we guarantee 7,200 kWh in year one with a stated annual degradation schedule,” is a recourse number. If the system underproduces, the installer owes the homeowner cash or replacement equipment to make up the shortfall.
Few national installers will write a hard kWh number into the contract. The ones who will are signaling that they are taking the production estimate as a real obligation, not a marketing input. The question separates the two groups in one minute.
“What does the panel spec sheet say about year-1 degradation?”
Panel manufacturer spec sheets typically state two performance figures: a year-1 output floor (often 97-98% of nameplate) and an annual degradation rate (typically 0.4 to 0.55% per year). The brochure highlights the year-25 floor; the proposal may not surface the year-1 number. The year-1 number matters because it is the first year the production guarantee, if there is one, gets compared against actual output. Asking for the spec sheet (which should be attached to the proposal) gets both numbers in one pass.
“What is the cash $/W if I skip financing?”
The single most expensive omission in a typical solar quote is the cash price. Proposals routinely state a per-watt figure or a total price that bundles the dealer-financing markup into the headline. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau documented dealer fees of 10 to 30% as common across residential solar in its August 2024 issue spotlight , with some quotes exceeding 50%.
Asking “what is your cash $/W if I pay outright” surfaces the markup in plain dollars. If the answer is the same price as the financed quote, the financing is genuinely subsidized by the lender. If the answer is materially lower, the difference is the dealer fee, and the financed “low APR” is more expensive than it appears regardless of the headline rate.
“Is this a UCC-1 lien on the system or on the property?”
Most solar loans file a UCC-1 financing statement to perfect the lender’s security interest in the equipment. Done correctly, the lien attaches to the system (the panels, inverter, racking) and is generally manageable at refinance or home sale. Drafted poorly, or drafted aggressively, it can attach to the property in a way that complicates both. Homeowners have reported being unable to refinance because of a UCC-1 their solar lender filed years earlier and never removed; resolution typically requires the homeowner, the lender, and sometimes the title company together.
The question is straightforward to ask and the answer is straightforward to read in the contract. A clear answer is a good sign; an evasive answer is a reason to slow down.
“Who actually does the install, your crew or a subcontractor?”
Several large national installers subcontract some or all field installation work to regional crews. Subcontracting is fine if disclosed; the regional crew may even be the better-qualified team on the roof. The issue is warranty escalation: when the install crew and the warranty holder are different companies, claiming workmanship coverage years later means navigating two organizations and a handoff between them.
Reasonable answer: “Our crew does it, here is the lead installer’s name and NABCEP certification.” Or: “We use [named subcontractor] in your ZIP code, here is their information and our process for handling warranty claims.” Vague answer: “We have local partners.” The latter is the answer to read carefully.
“What happens if my roof needs repair in year 8?”
An asphalt-shingle roof installed in 2010 may need replacement in 2030. If the solar system was installed in 2025, the panels will be mid-life when the roof underneath them needs work. Removing and reinstalling a system typically costs $1,500 to $3,000 even on straightforward jobs, and that cost is almost never covered by the module or workmanship warranty.
Some installers include a stated removal-and-reinstall rate in the contract, often pegged to current per-panel labor cost. Most do not. Getting the rate in writing at signing is materially easier than negotiating it under time pressure when the roof is leaking. The same applies to chimney repairs, gutter work, and any other maintenance the panels obstruct.
“What happens if your company is acquired or goes out of business?”
The residential solar industry has consolidated and contracted through 2023, 2024, and 2025. Pink Energy’s October 2022 collapse stranded an estimated 25,000 to 50,000 customers nationwide with active loan balances and stuck systems. Multiple state attorneys general followed up with an eight-state action against five solar lenders in late 2022.
The relevant legal mechanism is the FTC Holder Rule, which lets a borrower assert against the assignee of a consumer credit contract any claim or defense the borrower could have asserted against the seller. In practical terms: if the installer fails and the homeowner cannot get warranty service from a defunct company, the Holder Rule is the doctrine homeowners have used to push back on the financing company holding the loan. Illinois maintains Stranded Customer Resources through the Illinois Shines administrator specifically because the problem is common.
Asking the installer how the service contract survives an acquisition or bankruptcy is not paranoia, it is a documented risk pattern in this industry. The answer should not be “that won’t happen.” The answer should be specific: which entity holds the warranty, who services it if the original company is acquired, and what the customer is told if the company dissolves.