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Lease the Sun FAQ
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Return to Lease the Sun home Your Independent Ecopreneur: Mike Schaul (919) 863-6654 email: First, for the spammers who collect
emails, info@leasethesun.com will go straight to trash. Unfortunately, you the human will have to
decode the following: solar <at> leasethesun <dot> com Lease the Sun Affiliates and
friends Innovative Business and Legal Financing |
Lease
the Sun questions
Overview
How does the
program work?
Planning
When will my system be
installed?
If it will be that long,
why should I sign up now?
What is the risk to
signing up now?
What will it cost to sign
up now?
When is the first time I
pay anything?
When do I pay after
that?
Cost
How is my rate determined?
When do I start saving
money?
How much will I save?
What’s
my bottom line? What comes out of my
pocket and when?
What happens if new
technology lowers the utility’s price?
Things change
What happens if I move?
What happens if my
family’s usage changes?
Business of Solar
Tell me about the
company that’s doing this.
I heard there’s a
silicon shortage. How will CitizenRE
meet the demand at the price they expect to pay?
Why do you rely on net
metering instead of helping me get off the grid completely?
Safe and Sure
Is it safe?
Will I have power if
there’s are outage?
Who else is using solar?
Will it damage my
roof? If it will, will CitizenRE
repair the damage when the panels are removed?
Do I have to insure the
system?
Making Money
How do I become an
Ecopreneur? What does it cost to be an
Ecopreneur?
Can I get this program for
my residential rental properties?
Can I get this program for my
commercial property? Lease
the Sun answers
How does the program work?
The salient points are:
·
The only upfront cost is the $500
refundable, interest-bearing deposit. No installation or purchase
cost!
·
The installer's engineer comes to your
house shortly before installation and designs your photovoltaic system that
meets your annual power consumption needs and is suitable for your
house. The deposit is paid after you sign off on the design.
·
Your solar power is interchanged with the
grid, so there are no storage devices. You sell to the power company while
the sun shines and buy back at night. (KISS principle.)
·
You pay for the solar power
generated. The rate is fixed for the 25-year lease (there are shorter
options) at the utility's current rate. No price increases for 25
years!
·
The photovoltaic system is continuously
monitored. Repairs are done promptly because if there is no power being
generated, you don't pay. The photovoltaic panel configuration can be changed
if the power usage changes (change in family size, etc.). If there is a
change noticed in monitoring, that will be brought to the homeowner's
attention so an adjustment can be made. Your rate stays the same.
When we put solar-generated electricity into the grid during the day,
i.e., the peak usage period, we reduce or eliminate the need for new power
plants. Everyone can participate and make a difference for minimal
cost. Your property value will probably go up as the utility’s
rates go up and your solar power cost stays the same.
→ Return to questions. Return to home. Sign up. When will my system be installed?
We’re
not sure yet when the factory will be ready.
The first systems are expected to be installed soon after that. If you sign up now, your position on the
queue will probably get your system to you late in a year or so. (There are already more than 33,000
customers in the queue ahead of you!) If it will be that
long, why should I sign up now?
If you sign up today you · Pay nothing until the engineer visits
shortly before your installation, i.e., there is no cost and no risk to
signing up now. (If you get a better
deal while you’re waiting, just tell us to take you off the list.) ·
Reserve your place in the installation queue. Yes, it may be a year or more before you
get your system, but if you wait a year to sign up, it could still be another
year. ·
Lock in today’s rate before it goes up! You’re setting your electricity cost
for up to 25 years, and, if you wait, it could be more. Why wait? ·
Tell the Sun-Blockers ― Congress, your utility and your state legislature ― that you’re serious. Sign up neighbors, and start educating your
homeowner association (some of the worst Sun-Blockers!) that solar is
beautiful. What is the risk to
signing up now?
None. You have no commitment until the engineer
designs your system and you approve it.
One caveat: if the
engineer offers you a workable plan, and you decide you really didn’t
want solar, after all, you may go on a “do not serve” list. To prevent that, you should cancel no later
than when the engineer calls to make an appointment. What
will it cost to sign up now?
A
few minutes of your time. That’s
all. When is the first
time I pay anything?
When
you approve the engineer’s plan for your house. That’s when you pay the $500
refundable interest-bearing deposit. When do I pay after
that?
You’ll
receive monthly bills for the power generated. You’ll be billed equal payments each
month based on the power rating of your system. If it generates more, you benefit. If it generates less (due to weather or
other reasons), you get a rebate. → Return to questions. Return to home. Sign up. How is my rate determined?
CitizenRE
has calculated the average rate for each utility company based on rates it
has filed with the state utility commission.
These rates are on their website, and your rate will appear on your
Forward Rental Agreement (FRA) that I will send you after you sign up. That is your rate. If you wait to sign up until after your
utility raises its rates, you will pay the higher rate for the full term (1,
5, or 25 years) of your FRA.
Don’t wait! Sign up now. When do I start saving money?
If your utility’s rates are higher than on your FRA, you save
money from the first kilowatt hour.
Otherwise, you start saving when all your neighbors start paying
higher rates and you don’t.
What’s my
bottom line? What comes out of my pocket
and when?
Immediately,
when you sign up – nothing. Just
before your system is installed, after you approve the system design –
$500 deposit for most houses, up to $1000 for large houses. When
your system is operational – approximately what you are paying now,
averaged over the year. Your rate is
set when you sign your Forward Rental Agreement, and it doesn’t change
for the lease period (I recommend the full 25 years). So, if your utility raises its rates before
your installation, you still get today’s rates. What
would this system cost me to buy? CitizenRE
doesn’t sell residential systems.
However, a man recently told me that he had spent $35,500 to put a 4
kw system on his house. He
doesn’t have enough income to benefit from tax credits. However, he is able to sell the excess to
his utility. I doubt he will ever
break even compared with leasing the sun. I
saw an expert explain how, by using North Carolina’s very generous tax
credits, a homeowner could install a 2 kw (minimal) system for just under
$10,000. The homeowner is responsible for maintaining the system, as well as
dealing with moving, reroofing, etc. The owner of a PV system in a sense buys
the sun and handles all the support issues that CitizenRE will handle for
you. → Return to questions. Return to home. Sign up. Sign up. How much will I save?
How
much will your utility’s rates go up? What happens if new
technology lowers the utility’s price?
Fat
chance! But, if there really is a way
you can save money, tell CitizenRE to take the system off your roof. As long as you meet your obligations, the
worst that can happen is that will probably lose your deposit. Is it safe?
As
safe as any other source of electricity.
In theory, it could fall off the roof and hit you on the head, but so
could a tree branch. Be careful during
hurricanes and tornadoes. Will I have power if there’s are outage?
The
first consideration is the safety of the repair people working to restore
service. Any power coming through the
meter from you can be dangerous to them.
CitizenRE is working on a way to connect you that allows you to have
power from your panels while not endangering the repair people. Who else is using
solar?
Frankly,
not enough homeowners because of the large cost – until now. (Other countries are way ahead of us, and
the surprising thing is that the leader is → Return to questions. Return to home. Sign up. What happens if I move?
You have choices. You can take the system with you. The first time is free. After that, there will be a reasonable
fee. Or, you can transfer the lease to
the new owner(s), assuming they accept the contractual obligations. At worst, you can ask to have the system
removed and forfeit the deposit.
What happens if my
family’s usage changes?
The franchisee will
monitor your usage. If it changes,
they will add or remove panels so that you continue to generate enough to
break even with your electric utility.
Obviously, over 25 years, depending on your age, your family could get
bigger, then smaller, then maybe bigger again, and your needs will be
met. Of course, you don’t have
to wait until the franchisee discovers that you have a new baby, the baby has
gone off to college, or that your parents have moved in.
→ Return to questions.
Return to home. Sign up. Tell me about the company
that’s doing this.
The name is CitizenRE,
i.e., Renewable Energy for you, the Citizen. When you follow the link to sign up as a customer or as an Ecopreneur,
you’ll be on their website where you can find more information about
them.
I heard
there’s a silicon shortage. How
will CitizenRE meet the demand at the price they expect to pay?
Their factory will be
totally vertically integrated – sand in, photovoltaic panels and all
connection gadgetry out. They have
contracts for plenty of raw product at a reasonable price.
Why do you rely on
net metering instead of helping me get off the grid completely?
Getting off the grid is
less efficient and more damaging to the environment. It requires a lot more panels. You have to be sure you have enough
capacity, for both generation and storage, to get through a multi-day storm. Batteries at the moment are still the
weakest link. They are inefficient,
and they qualify as hazardous materials.
They probably won’t last as long as the rest of the system. Also, when you are connected via net
metering, you are cutting down the utility’s peak need by being an
extra source of power to the grid. If
you’re off the grid, you actually make less of a contribution to the
societal goal of reduced dependence on large power plants.
→ Return to questions.
Return to home. Sign up. Will it damage my roof? If it will, will CitizenRE repair the
damage when the panels are removed?
CitizenRE will carry a
special insurance policy that will be activated at the site review
signing/down payment. It will cover any damage from installs and removals.
Do I have to insure
the system?
Most insurance companies
will insure any item that is attached to the house (and leased) under their
“18 perils” clause. If you
have a problem, CitizenRE is looking into a low cost supplemental policy for
the panels.
→ Return to questions.
Return to home. Sign up. How do I become an Ecopreneur? What does it cost to be an Ecopreneur?
Unlike most programs that
allow you to sign up both customers and other distributors, there is no
charge to become an Ecopreneur. CitizenRE provides training materials and
requires you to pass a test to qualify. After you sign up, you will have access to
the training materials and test. CitizenRE is so serious about having
knowledgeable independent distributors that they upgraded the training and
test in the Spring of 2007 to weed out people who weren’t properly
committed. Sign up here.
Can I be an
Ecopreneur if I rent my own home?
Yes. Sign
up here.
Can I get this program for my
residential rental properties?
Yes. The procedure is the same to sign up, except that
you complete both a billing address, and a physical address.
Can I get this
program for my commercial property?
CitizenRE plans to sell
systems for commercial buildings, and financing will be available. If you want to be notified when it’s
available, send an email with basic information about the building (city,
size, type of roof, etc.) to solar (at) leasethesun
(dot) com.
→ Return to questions. Return to home. Sign up.
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