We get plenty of questions and while we’ve tried to address the most common ones here, don’t hesitate to contact us for the information you’re looking for!
What is “Solar Potential”?
Solar potential refers to the qualities a home needs to generate solar energy. Some homes have these qualities and some homes don’t. Less than 50% of all suburban homes have the ultimate mix of qualities needed to efficiently use solar technologies to their fullest and anything less can reduce their output by up to 50%!
What does a MAD certification cost?
The price for the inspection is $100 per home and the certification, if the home qualifies, is another $200.
Will Homeowners actually buy “Solar Potentials”.
Yes, solar potentials are a low impact affordable, socially aware investment that homeowners can make in their future that doesn’t require maintenance, won’t go out of style or wear out! In a market with low inventory, a few thousand dollars isn’t going to kill a deal and with the margins you have on MAD certifications, you could all but give them away as a viable marketing expense!
Will Homeowners use “Solar Potentials”?
As the demand and price of electricity continues to rise and as the war on fossil fuels continues to dictate electricity production, we feel many homeowners will be motivated to use their solar potentials at some point in the future.
Is generating electricity the only benefit of using solar technologies?
While it isn’t hard to put a dollar value on the electricity generated by harvesting solar potentials, carbon is quickly becoming valued too and offsetting it can only make sense going forward.
And when the power goes out, energy independence is worth everything!
How do we certify HOA compliance?
While HOAs can dictate how solar technologies are installed, “solar access laws” in many states won’t let an HOA completely prohibit the it. We’ve done an extensive study of existing HOA regulations and have identified the trends we’re seeing in them. Certifiable, investment grade solar potentials are identified around these trends.
Will a home’s “Solar Potential” ever change?
As trees mature or if other structures are built in close proximity to a MAD certified home, it’s possible that the homes may become shaded enough to lose some of their certified solar potential. Based on this, we recommend having MAD certified homes re-certified every 10 years or so.
Can’t you harvest sunshine from the roof of any home?
It’s true, you can utilize the bottom 50% of homes to generate solar energy but you’ll have to fabricate complicated mounting systems to do it. These are heavy, expensive, take up space, and usually aren’t HOA compliant because they aren’t nice to look at!
Why don’t we grade ground based solar potentials?
While it’s true that you can build frames and install solar panels around the home instead of on it, ground based systems are typically frowned upon by HOAs and they take up valuable yard space which isn’t practical for most homeowners. Beyond that, ground based systems are often more expensive to build and install than rooftop systems.
Do existing home’s have MAD certifiable “Solar Potentials” or are certifications limited to new housing developments?
Yes, solar potentials can be found in the existing home market but trees that have been growing for decades can make finding them a challenge. Once we become well established, we’ll break into the existing home certifications market but as certifying solar potentials one house at a time is going to make them more challenging.
Do we sell or service Solar Panels?
No. Solar technology is changing too quickly for us to stay relevantly professional in the field of installing and servicing solar panels.
Are there any on-going maintenance concerns in homes with “Solar Potentials”?
No, solar potentials are an investment you can make today and ignore tomorrow as they require absolutely no maintenance!
Do we offer real estate services beyond the solar certifications?
No, we don’t represent parties involved in the buying or selling of real estate and we’re only providing solar potential certifications.
