FAQs

The Photovoltaic System

What size system do I need? Sunuity targets the highest value system size for your particular needs. Therefore, a Sunuity system is not designed to cover 100% of your energy needs and will thereby be substantially smaller than a full system. Typical system sizes are 3-6kW, but no qualifying system size is excluded from Sunuity's program.

What panels do you use? We use proven silicon panels from reputable manufacturers such as Suntech and Sharp (with potential upgrade to SunPower). We do NOT use thin-film panels.

Installation Process

How quickly can you install? The actual installation is the quick part of the project with most systems being installed in 1-2 days. The majority of the project time is taken up by non-installation factors such as obtaining "pre-approval" from the utility and having them inspect and turn the system on. For Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) customers, typical total project times range from 3-4 mos. For Glendale and Pasadena customers, this drops to about 2-3 mos. Due to factors out of Sunuity and ASE’s control, your actual install time may vary.

Overall Costs / Savings / Billing

How is my Sunuity bill calculated? With Sunuity, you are leasing a solar system, not paying for electricity. The payments you make to Sunuity are a function of your system size, its estimated production, and your utility (rates and rebate). With Sunuity's Price Guarantee, you will have significant savings from day one and are protected from ever paying more for electricity than you would have had you not gone solar.

Am I going to get two monthly bills? Yes, you will get one bill from Sunuity and a reduced bill from your utility company.

How long is my payment agreement with Sunuity? 25 years

Why is it so long? This is mandated by the municipal utilities in which our program is approved. Additionally, it is the warranted life of the panels, although government reports show that the useful life of photovoltaic systems is 35-50 years. (SOURCE: "Usage of Solar Panels in Municipalities", State of New York Comptroller, 2008)

When do I break even? Sunuity can provide you with a customized analysis free of charge, but as a generalized example, in LADWP, a high SCS house with a 6kW system and $1,000 rebate reservation fee would break even in only 1 year (versus over 14 if they purchased the system).

Will this cost me more in the long-run than buying a solar system outright? Sunuity's program is designed to minimize your upfront costs and deliver net savings earlier. With purchase, your typical break-even point is over 10 years, while with Sunuity, it's around 1-2 and nearly immediate if you qualify for no money down. Also, since a dollar saved today is worth more than a dollar saved in 25 years, if you account for the time value of money, the Net Cash Flow for leasing with Sunuity is equivalent to that for purchasing a system, without the huge upfront costs!

Am I guaranteed to save money? It is very difficult to imagine situations where you would not save money, provided your usage remains as it was before you went solar.

What happens if energy prices go up a lot in the future? Sunuity's Price Guarantee insulates you by capping your annual average total electricity price increase at 6%. Historically, electricity prices in California have increased at 6.7%/yr since 1970. (SOURCE: Calculation based on 30+ yr data from the DOE, www.eia.doe.gov)

What happens if energy prices go down a lot? The Price Guarantee would go into effect, and your monthly Sunuity bills would be reduced accordingly.

Can I sell extra energy back to my utility company? Yes and no. With net metering, you will get credit for any additional energy you produce (that you don't use at that particular time), and this credit is applied to future bills. But currently, if you generate an annual "surplus", you cannot receive cash payment from the utilities.

Warranty / Maintenance / Roof Repair

What warranty is provided with the system? Sunuity provides a 25-year "bumper-to-bumper" warranty on the entire system, which greatly exceeds industry standard and California State mandates of 10 year "bumper-to-bumper" on the entire system plus 25 year manufacturers’ warranty on the panels only. Normal "wear-and-tear" repairs and/or replacements are fully covered by your Sunuity Limited Warranty. Please note that there are system components that will require replacement over the 25 year lease period. With Sunuity, you're covered for this as well. The most likely system component to need repair or replacement is the inverter. Inverters have an average life of 10-15 years, so you should expect one $2,000- $3,000 replacement on average over the lease term, covered by Sunuity. This is one of the major benefits of going with Sunuity vs. purchase or other financing programs.

What if my kid hits a baseball thru one of the panels? What happens? Sunuity’s warranty does not cover such things as damage due to errant baseballs and other non-standard wear-and-tear.

What maintenance am I responsible for? Sunuity provides all expected maintenance to keep your system fully functional. With purchase, you would be responsible for maintenance at additional costs. The only "maintenance" for which you are responsible is periodic cleaning (rinsing with a hose) of the solar panels. Sunuity's 25-year warranty covers all other scheduled maintenance and repairs.

What if I replace/repair my roof? Ideally, you should install solar panels on a roof that is in good condition. Sunuity will do a thorough inspection of your roof PRIOR to installation to ensure its integrity. Once the solar panels are installed, they actually help to protect your roof from the elements. In the event that your roof needs repair/replacement over the 25 year system lease period, the solar panels will need to be removed and reinstalled and you would be responsible for the costs of moving the system. Sunuity offers this service for a reasonable fee.

System Performance

Does the company provide production guarantees? Yes. Sunuity provides a Performance Guarantee. When you sign your lease agreement, you will also be provided a specific listing of your system's guaranteed output over the full 25 years of your lease. This guarantee is weather-independent, so even if your system does not perform as predicted due to excessive cloud cover, rain, etc, Sunuity will reduce your monthly payments accordingly.

How is performance tracked? If you provide internet connection monitor the performance of your system in relation to others in your area to track any major relative changes (drops) in production that might indicate a problem with your system.

If there are production issues what is the company’s response time? Typically within a day or two.

Do you monitor the performance of the system? Yes - If you provide a wired internet connection to the system. If you don’t have internet connection, we can still connect via cellular connection, but at an additional initial fee and monthly charge. If you do neither, and you feel the system is not producing (i.e., you see an unusual spike in your bill from the utility), Sunuity will send a technician out at your expense.

Can I monitor my panels’ performance? Yes, if you have provided either internet or cell connection to our monitor at time of installation.

What happens if I see decreased performance? Reductions in solar system "performance" often depend on weather, and don't necessarily mean that something is wrong with the system. However, we will monitor the performance of your system and if we see an irregular decrease in performance, we will send a technician to your home to inspect and/or repair your system for free.

What if I Sell my Home?

What happens if I sell my house prior to the end of the lease? You can pass on the solar system to the new owners in three ways. You can:

1. Transfer the lease to the new owner (similar to transferring the electric bill to the new owner)
2. If it is over 6 years since you started your Sunuity lease, you may purchase the system and sell it as part of your house.
3. If it is less than 6 years, you may prepay the lease before sale and add this additional price as part of your sale price.

Besides the direct benefits you receive from solar while living in your home, another great thing is that solar homes typically have a higher resale value than comparable "non-solar" homes. According to a recent industry report, a home’s value is increased by $20,000 for every $1,000 reduction in annual operating costs from energy efficiency, meaning that a system that saves you $500/yr can add $10,000 to your homes sale price. (SOURCE: Appraisal Journal, "Evidence of Rational Market Valuations for Home Energy Efficiency," www.ongrid.net/AppraisalJournalPVValue10.99.pdf)

What are the requirements for the new owner to assume the lease? This is one of the truly unique features of the Sunuity lease. The HOUSE qualifies for the lease, not the homeowner. No personal credit check is required initially or upon transfer to the new owner. A nominal transfer fee applies, but nothing else What if the prospective new owner doesn’t qualify for the Sunuity lease? Unlike with other leases and power purchase agreements, with Sunuity, this can never happen The HOUSE qualifies, not the homeowner, and since the house qualified initially, there is no qualification process for a new homeowner.

What if the new owner of my house doesn’t want a solar system? It's important to note that homebuilders are discovering that homes with solar are selling faster and, as mentioned above, for higher prices, than those without solar. In the unlikely event that the new homeowner really doesn't want the solar system on their roof, if you’ve had the system longer than 6 years, you could buy out the system from Sunuity and have the system removed.

What happens if a homeowner refinances the house? Nothing. Since the Sunuity program is tied to the physical attributes of the home itself, and not the homeowner, financial transactions such as refinancing will have no effect on program participation.

End of Lease

What happens at the end of the 25yr period? You have three options:

1. If you choose to renew, Sunuity will upgrade your system at that time and extend your lease terms.
2. If you choose to purchase, Sunuity will sell the system to you at fair market value. NOTE: This is a major differentiator between Sunuity and other solar leasing companies. With Sunuity, your end-of-lease purchase price is low. Other companies, on the other hand, have an extremely high system purchase price at the end of their lease, thereby creating "sticker-shock" at the end that essentially forces you to renew your lease.
3. If you decide, however, at the end of the lease term that you do not want to purchase the system, you can contact Sunuity and we will come out and remove the system free of charge

Am I contractually obligated to buy the system at the end of the contract? No

What is my purchase price at the end of the lease (assuming I've made all of my monthly payments)? The purchase price of the system at the end of the lease is based on a fair-market value calculation and depends on system size. Your lease agreement will state specifically what your end-of-lease purchase price is, but remember, this is in 25 year from now dollars. In today's dollars, the true purchase price is only a fraction of what is presented.

Can I purchase the system prior to the end of the payment period? If you have leased your system for 6 or more years, you can buy-out the remaining lease payments and purchase it for Fair Market Value as described above. If you have leased your system for less than 6 years, you cannot purchase your system – without paying substantial penalties to cover repayment of federal and state rebates and tax incentives.

Rebates / Taxes / Laws

Who handles all the utility and federal incentive paperwork? Sunuity

Who gets the utility incentives and federal tax credits? Sunuity, however all financial benefits that Sunuity receives from incentives and subsidies are passed through to you, the customer, in the form of no money down installations and yearly savings.

Who gets the renewable energy credits (RECs)? Similar to the incentives and tax credits, all renewable energy credits go to Sunuity.

Will solar increase my California property taxes? No. Section 73 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code provides a property tax exclusion on most types of solar systems, including home solar electric systems.

Future Technologies

What happens if solar technology advances substantially in the future? Basic solar panel technology has been pretty much the same for several decades. What has changed is the efficiency of the solar cells has gone up, so individual panel size has been able to drop slightly, but not drastically. This means that the current technology is likely to be relevant for quite some time. Fortunately, unlike computers or other equipment that produce a better product as technology improves, electricity is not likely to become obsolete. Once installed, if the system has been sized properly to meet the electricity needs of your home, new technologies will not offer any substantial production advantages. Additionally, it's fully warranted for 25 years, so even if a newer technology comes out that starts to replace current solar, your system will still produce at its expected level for decades to come.