The Challenges of a Solar Powered Home or Cabin and Inspections
For those who are into GREEN homes, here's some info on solar. Anyone looking for that solar cabin? Or a piece of land to put it on? There are so great spots out there with huge potential for an off-the-grid place.
I sometimes sell properties that are remote and not close to on-the-grid power. The homes are often cabins or manufactured homes and the cost of a solar system represents a significant portion of the cost. I have one such property in escrow as I am writing this. I am representing the Buyer. We had inspections done a couple of weeks ago. The solar system inspector came back with a quote of around $7,000 to "repair" the existing system. Neither Buyer nor Seller were willing to absorb this cost, so the escrow "got stuck."
Today, I took a solar power specialist friend to the site to get a second opinion. His verdict is that the system is performing as designed and only needs minor adjustments to bring it's performance up to its potential. Another point my friend made is that since these are basically recreational properties, the systems that are often installed do not match the lifestyle expectations of the new owners.
I have one cabin listed that has a solar system that produces 12 volts DC power and uses light fixtures from an RV supply house. There is not even a place to plug in a radio in this cabin. This was fine for the single man who lived alone in the cabin, but will probably NOT be OK with a new owner.
I learned a lot today on this trip with my solar specialist friend. Here are some of the things I learned.
I learned that the goals of the solar inspection should be clearly understood by both the Buyer and the Seller. That is, should the inspection determine that the system is in good working condition, or should it be evaluated for the adequacy of the design? I believe this should be spelled out in the Purchase Contract so both the Buyer and Seller understand the implications.
- How many people will live in the home? Will the getaway have extra friends or family coming to stay occasionally?
- How large are the appliances? How many appliances are there?
- Does the home have a propane refrigerator?
- I also learned that a design that includes a self-starting motor-generator is one of the best "bang for the buck" components of a good installation. The motor-generator can handle peak loads and will reduce the capacity requirements of the solar system.
I also learned that I will call on my solar power specialist friend during the negotiations on my next contract involving solar power.
John Mosier Prescott's Patriot REALTOR®
FREE (877) 371-8142 Fax (800) 635-6561
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See my results for 2009, Praise the Lord!
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