Solar Panels – Pros and Cons

Summer’s on its way! Along with the summer come great days of sunshine and green electricity generated from sunlight with solar panels. Did you know that solar panels are an electricity and heating generating system that can be installed in your home? The solar panels system is designed to absorb sunlight and provide you with cheap, green electricity and heat.

In 2008 solar panels were designated ‘permitted development’ and as such, planning permission from the local authority isn’t necessary in order to have them installed, unless it’s a listed or protected building. Also, as the government is keen on home owners to install solar panels, the regulations are quite lenient, but there are still a few regulations to adhere to.

So it’s all good news with solar panels these days, you might say. Don’t get your hopes too high. If you are planning to install solar panels in your home, please be sure to get legal advise because of certain planning regulations and because it will impact on the value of your home.

Think first that there are two basic ways to buy solar panels: purchasing upfront, meaning that you can remove them if you decide to sell your property; leasing from a company that will install them but you cannot have them removed for the duration of the lease agreement. Then think also that before you install a solar panel system, either purchased upfront or leased, you need to be aware of a few important factors that will impact on the value of your property.

Solar panels are categorised as an alteration to the property, so this might impact on the mortgage. In other words, you need consent from your lender. If for instance you lease the solar panels for 25 years, this will potentially have a negative effect on your lender’s interest. If you have to sell the property within the 25 year lease, this would impact on the buyer’s mortgage as well. So you are left with options that may not work in your favour.

Before leasing or buying solar panels for your home, please give us a call and we can have an initial informal discussion that will help you decide the best course of action. SG

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