Solar homes, which initially started with production
builders on the West Coast, has been adopted by a lot of East Coast modular
home builders that are keen to add another avenue of differentiation to help
improve upon the value of their homes.
The Home Store of Massachusetts and Beracah Homes of Delaware each have added
solar panels to their model homes this month and both companies have begun to
include solar energy systems at no cost
for their new home buyers.
Partnering with Solarcity, the Elon Musk backed solar
installer with about a 35% national market share, The Home Store and Berecah
Homes customers now receive a no cost solar energy system included
with each new home. The equipment, permitting, installation,
interconnection and all maintenance and warranty is included at no cost. Home
buyers simply purchase the electricity produced by the home at rate that is
typically 10-20 % less than the local utility and best of all, guaranteed not
increase for 20 years.
Modular home builders, who have long touted energy and cost savings
as compelling reasons to choose modular, now have another marketing opportunity
to add to the value proposition. Modular home buyers benefit from energy
efficient and energy secure homes that are not subject to utility rate
increases.
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| SolarCity panels on one of the model homes at The Home Store |
Further adding value, SolarCity’s sleekmount
installation system provides a clean and modern looking solar energy system by
removing the bulky racking that panels once set on. Panels sit low to the
roof in a sleek modern appearance that enhances the curb appeal for savvy,
energy conscious buyers.
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| Beracah Homes just added SolarCity panels to their model home in Delaware |
Giving your customers a solar array at no cost to either you
or your customer, being able to market this to prospective new home buyers and giving them another oppotunity to make an appointment should be enough
reasons to contact Greg Blair, the Modular Home Builder Manager for SolarCity.
Do
it today!
2 comments:
Two comments:
1. The solar panels on the Beracah home are in the SHADE
2. This "free" program is a 25 YEAR LEASE - they own your roof and all that power for a quarter century. And they get the Fed Tax credit, and state grants, and, and...
Now you know why Solar City is very profitable and positively cleaning up on suckers drawn to the "no money down" mentality so pervasive and problematic for Americans.
Hell - if you can't afford it, F'ing Finance It!
Seriously though, we are installing Solar PV on our homes and when financed with cheap money (less than 5%) our clients are keeping all the power and financial incentives. The very same money that is making Solar City all powerful. Should they sell their homes, there's no lease dangling over the property that is actually nixing sales at the settlement table. (Google it)
While I'm a fan of any solar power, you have to ask yourself: why would you give away your roof and your $$$?
So I received a call from Greg today. He was not pleased. We sparred and argued the merits of his approach and my approach, and in the end, we parted friends.
When pioneers went west and pan-handled gold during the Rush, it was not all flowers and puppy dogs. When black gold was found there were fights aplenty. Solar power is that new destiny, right now.
Any opportunity that presents itself on such a wide scale deserves serious scrutiny with a couple of shoulder hits thrown in. SolarCity is moving the bar on climate change and energy independence from the utility companies. They also offer a straight sale that does not commit ones roof for a quarter century.
I think SolarCity's lead-in pitch for a no-money-down lease is a bit below the belt, but I respect Greg for entering the ring with a solution that really shakes up the status quo on the monopoly (oligarchy) that power companies hold. He picked up the phone and called me out. I hit back. We're the better for it.
This is something you don't see very often in our industry. You can’t break 3% if you don’t spill a little blood and break a little bread.
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