Solar contract questions

What is a solar contract analysis?

A solar contract analysis reads the agreement behind a home's solar panels — a lease, power purchase agreement (PPA), loan, PACE assessment or cash purchase — and pulls out the terms that matter when the home is sold: the payment and how it rises, years left, what a buyer must do to take it over, any filings against the property, warranties and buyout terms. RateMySolar does this from an uploaded contract in a minute or two.

How do I check a solar lease or PPA before buying or selling a home?

Get the full signed agreement, not a summary. Look for the monthly payment or price per kWh, the annual escalator, the term and start date, the transfer section (what a buyer must qualify for, any fee, and how long approval takes), whether a payoff or buyout is required, any UCC-1 filing, and the warranties. RateMySolar pulls these out for you and turns them into MLS fields and a closing checklist.

Does a solar lease transfer to the buyer when a house is sold?

Usually it can, but not automatically. Most leases and PPAs let a buyer take over the agreement once the solar company approves them, which often includes a credit check and its own paperwork; some sellers choose to buy the system out instead. The contract's transfer or assignment section sets out the rules, and RateMySolar shows what it says alongside a timeline from your closing date.

What is a UCC-1 fixture filing on solar panels?

A UCC-1 fixture filing is a public notice, usually recorded with the county, that a solar company or lender has an interest in the equipment on the home. It is not a mortgage on the house, but title companies and lenders often need it addressed before closing. RateMySolar flags when a contract provides for one.

How much does RateMySolar cost?

Your first upload is free and shows a locked preview. The full report card — five letter grades, the findings behind them, the MLS solar fields and remarks, the before-closing checklist and transfer timeline, what's left to pay, buyout and paydown figures, and a full-report PDF — is $49.99, paid by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal. Teams and brokerages can get unlimited reports for every agent with an office plan, priced by the number of agents.

What documents can I upload?

The solar agreement itself: a lease, PPA, loan agreement, PACE assessment or cash purchase contract, as a PDF or as photos of the pages. A transfer or assumption agreement can be added alongside the original.

Is my contract kept?

The uploaded file is read once and not stored. We keep the contract data and the property address, with names, signatures, phone numbers, emails and account numbers removed. The privacy page has the full detail.

Is RateMySolar financial or legal advice?

No. RateMySolar is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. It is an information tool: it states what a contract says and how its terms compare with published benchmarks. Reports are prepared with the help of AI and can contain mistakes, so check every figure against the contract and talk to the solar company, your lender, your title company or an attorney before making decisions.

Does it work in every state?

Yes. Contracts from any U.S. state can be read, and grades use benchmarks for the home's state. The Solar by state pages summarize each state's net-metering and export-credit rules.

What do the letter grades mean?

A and B mean the contract compares well on that measure, C is about typical, and D or F point to terms worth a closer look before closing. N/A means the document doesn't contain what that grade needs, and the report says what was missing. How we grade explains what each of the five grades looks at.