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How do hidden solar panels (tiles or whatever other option) raise the value less? Like, if you're buying a house, even if the solar panels are perfectly hidden

by franga2000 6y ago

How do hidden solar panels (tiles or whatever other option) raise the value less? Like, if you're buying a house, even if the solar panels are perfectly hidden, they'll still be prominently mentioned on the listing and by the agent. I'd imagine they'd even be more valuable than bulky and obvious panels, since those tend to look kinda ugly, especially on some more vintage house designs.

zizee 6y ago
I think the grandparent was saying that the super visible solar panels allow the house owner to signal to their neighbors/visitors/friends/family that they are environmentally conscious, thus getting social credit for the solar installation. I.e. The social cachet from the older style panels being super visible outweighs the reduced asthetic, therefore people will not pay extra for nicer looking solar.
- franga2000 6y ago
  Is that really such a big thing? And even if it is, it's not like roof tile panels are impossible to know about. For starters, they're not actually completely invisible - you can usually still tell. But more importantly, there will still be construction that your neighbours will ask you about ("hey, whacha building, neighbour?" "oh, not much, I'm just replacing my roof with solar tiles. Y'know, for the environment!") and you can surely subtly brag about it. Word travels fast so everyone around would quickly know and I'd imagine rich people would be far more impressed by someone with a beautiful roof and high-tech solar tiles, than someone installing the same ugly panels everyone and their dog have had since the early 2000s - same level of environmental signaling, but far more impressive.
  - zizee 6y ago
    Yeah, I can't see it having a huge effect. Here in Queensland, Australia, where every second house has regular panels I have never heard of people thinking they confer bragging rights.
    - danans 6y ago
      Neither the US nor California are anywhere near 50% residential rooftop solar. The point isn't bragging rights. It's that most people today don't consider solar panels to be an eyesore, and some people actually like the look. It's just like how the existence of luxury cars doesn't make most people think a Toyota Camry is an eyesore.
- danans 6y ago
  > I think the grandparent was saying that the super visible solar panels allow the house owner to signal to their neighbors/visitors/friends/family that they are environmentally conscious Not exactly. I meant that most people don't think standard PV panels are so unsightly that they would pay a huge premium for solar roof tiles, and many actually like how standard PV panels look.
sokoloff 6y ago
For the same reason that Prius started to sell much better once it was conspicuously different looking. What looks ugly to some is being visibly green to others.
danans 6y ago
> How do hidden solar panels (tiles or whatever other option) raise the value less? They don't. They probably raise it more in fact. But given that both raise the resale value, but the solar roof is phenomenally more expensive, most opt for standard PV, and think it looks plenty fine.
- thomaskcr 6y ago
  Almost no one is buying these systems outright and based on my experience last year buying a house the ones with solar leases were unattractive to buyers since they had been on the market for months compared to the single digit days for houses we were looking at.
  - dragonwriter 6y ago
    > Almost no one is buying these systems outright IIRC, several years ago purchase overtook leasing for new residential solar installations. It’s definitely not the case thst no one is getting owned instead of leased solar.

zizee 6y ago

I think the grandparent was saying that the super visible solar panels allow the house owner to signal to their neighbors/visitors/friends/family that they are environmentally conscious, thus getting social credit for the solar installation. I.e. The social cachet from the older style panels being super visible outweighs the reduced asthetic, therefore people will not pay extra for nicer looking solar.

franga2000 6y ago
Is that really such a big thing? And even if it is, it's not like roof tile panels are impossible to know about. For starters, they're not actually completely invisible - you can usually still tell. But more importantly, there will still be construction that your neighbours will ask you about ("hey, whacha building, neighbour?" "oh, not much, I'm just replacing my roof with solar tiles. Y'know, for the environment!") and you can surely subtly brag about it. Word travels fast so everyone around would quickly know and I'd imagine rich people would be far more impressed by someone with a beautiful roof and high-tech solar tiles, than someone installing the same ugly panels everyone and their dog have had since the early 2000s - same level of environmental signaling, but far more impressive.
- zizee 6y ago
  Yeah, I can't see it having a huge effect. Here in Queensland, Australia, where every second house has regular panels I have never heard of people thinking they confer bragging rights.
  - danans 6y ago
    Neither the US nor California are anywhere near 50% residential rooftop solar. The point isn't bragging rights. It's that most people today don't consider solar panels to be an eyesore, and some people actually like the look. It's just like how the existence of luxury cars doesn't make most people think a Toyota Camry is an eyesore.
danans 6y ago
> I think the grandparent was saying that the super visible solar panels allow the house owner to signal to their neighbors/visitors/friends/family that they are environmentally conscious Not exactly. I meant that most people don't think standard PV panels are so unsightly that they would pay a huge premium for solar roof tiles, and many actually like how standard PV panels look.

sokoloff 6y ago

For the same reason that Prius started to sell much better once it was conspicuously different looking. What looks ugly to some is being visibly green to others.

danans 6y ago

> How do hidden solar panels (tiles or whatever other option) raise the value less? They don't. They probably raise it more in fact. But given that both raise the resale value, but the solar roof is phenomenally more expensive, most opt for standard PV, and think it looks plenty fine.

thomaskcr 6y ago
Almost no one is buying these systems outright and based on my experience last year buying a house the ones with solar leases were unattractive to buyers since they had been on the market for months compared to the single digit days for houses we were looking at.
- dragonwriter 6y ago
  > Almost no one is buying these systems outright IIRC, several years ago purchase overtook leasing for new residential solar installations. It’s definitely not the case thst no one is getting owned instead of leased solar.