One of the latest trends when it comes to home builders is all sorts of them offering solar panel power systems as an option with a lot of their new builds.

While home builders have been offering solar panel pool heaters as an upgrade option for many years, recently some environmentally-minded, savvy home builders have been offering full electric solar panel options to meet the increasing demand of their increasingly progressive clients. However, the question remains: Should you buy solar panels from your home builder, or purchase from an outside source after your home is built?

Pros of Buying Panels From Your Home Builder

Much like other upgrades, deciding to go with solar panels from your home builder comes with many different advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the benefits of going with panels from your builder.

Rolling In The Cost: If you go with solar panels from your home builder, there is a chance you are able to incorporate the cost of the panels with your mortgage.

Quality: Once you have found a home builder whose quality of work meets your standard, there is a good chance that the quality of their solar panels will also meet your standards.

Cleaner Look: When it comes to installing solar panels during the build of your home you will be able to hide the unsightly wiring, etc. that would otherwise require a lot of work during a retrofit install.

Fixed Cost: The cost of your panels will be fixed and predetermined by the contract you sign with your builder. This also means you will have a single point of contact for all of the services being done.

Disadvantages of Buying From a Builder

Markups: There are chances that your home builder will charge you a bit of a markup when it comes to managing multiple projects at once.

Long-Term Leases: Some home builders work with third-party companies for financing, and this can result in you being required to get locked into a long-term loan agreement.

Cookie Cutter: Buying solar panels from your home builder means you will be stuck with cookie cutter packages and not a setup that meets all your specific needs.

This post was written by Shawn Henry, owner and solar energy expert, at Efficient Home Services of Florida. EHS provides services across the spectrum to address every aspect of your home’s energy inefficiencies. They focus on making home energy efficient and then eliminating your energy bill with solar!