Can you install solar panels that are free?
Dealing with spam calls and telemarketers seems to be a daily nuisance for almost everyone. If you’ve ever accidentally answered the call, it is likely that you’ve encountered a salesperson who claims to offer free solar panels. Now, instead of abruptly hanging up or avoiding the call altogether, have you ever wondered what would happen if you engaged in a free panel conversation? Well, our Inside Solar Consultant, Amy, took a call from one of these companies out of curiosity. Here’s what happened next.
Upon answering the phone, the telemarketer said: “I am offering to install solar panels, that are free, are you interested”? Now, Amy wanted to experiment with the caller and see if she could get any more information. She asked the caller to give her the name of the company, which he could not, and only responded by saying: “It is a government program for free solar panels”. Suspicious, Amy agreed to be transferred to the caller’s supervisor and see what the allegedly “free” program was all about.
Amy was quickly transferred to the caller’s supervisor, who started the conversation by asking if she was interested in a solar loan, as part of the program they were offering. Amy responded by reiterating her “interest” in the free program to install solar panels, determined to find out what this call was really all about. Once the supervisor asked Amy what state she resided in, Amy decided it was time to come clean. She responded to the supervisor by saying: “I am in Massachusetts and full disclosure, I work for a solar company”. The jig was up! Now that the supervisor knew that Amy was knowledgeable about solar, the conversation quickly transitioned. The supervisor revealed that there was in fact, no free program and that she was simply gathering information regarding financially qualified homes.
This call that Amy encountered was no surprise to us, and we would like to reiterate that unfortunately, there is no such thing as free solar panels. Investing in solar energy is just that- an investment. Deciding to install solar panels on your home comes with costs, but results in an astounding return on investment. You can pay cash or seek financing, but either choice would be a great decision both financially and environmentally for your family. Both options allow you to benefit from all the federal and state incentives that currently exist, which are unquestionably excellent.
So what is free are the decades of free electricity you will be able to enjoy after you’ve paid for your system. Meaning yes, your break-even may be somewhere between 7 and 10 years depending on your situation, but the system will keep working for 25 years or more. That’s a lot of free electricity. More importantly, your investment will make an impact on the environment, your children, and your children’s children. So, if you do encounter a phone call or advertisement claiming to offer free panels, be sure to question their credibility. Pay attention if the caller begins spewing gimmicks, as we believe such approaches create confusion in the market and damage solar installer reputations. Not everyone simply hangs up when receiving one of these calls, so be careful if the offer seems too good to be true. We were lucky that Amy knew from the start something wasn’t right!
Find more solar energy questions in these articles:
Top 8 Solar Energy Questions People Ask Before Going Solar – Part 1
Top 8 Solar Energy Questions People Ask Before Going Solar – Part 2
