The same worries reach me again and again once panels are on a roof. Short answers here, then send me whatever else is nagging.
Lease, loan, or power purchase agreement, the wording settles almost everything that follows.
No, not by itself. Dates, cancellation windows, notice rules, and spoken promises that never reached the page all pull in different directions. I read the document carefully because that is the only honest way to see what remains open to you.
With a loan you usually own the system outright once it is paid off. With a lease or power purchase agreement someone else owns the equipment while you keep paying. Ownership decides who claims incentives, who handles repairs, and what a sale of the home looks like.
Most agreements carry transfer or buyout language that lays out the conditions. Some make the buyer qualify and take the terms on, others let you pay it off instead. I would read that section long before you plan a sale.
Two statements landing where you expected one accounts for most of the surprise.
Because the panels rarely cover every hour you draw power. The utility bills the remainder, your solar payment comes separately, and when output trails the estimate you saw at signing that difference is yours to pay.
Usually it was an illustration rather than a binding promise, and the agreement will say so in its own words. I compare what you were shown during the sale against what the signed pages actually commit anyone to.
Many agreements carry an escalator that lifts the payment on a set schedule for the whole term. It hides in one line of the pricing section, and reading it plainly changes the total picture by a wide margin.
Damage, delays, and silent panels all get easier to raise once they are written down.
I start with the permit and inspection records, then the utility interconnection approval. Systems often sit finished but never cleared to run. Once I find the step that stalled, it usually points straight at who owes you a fix.
Workmanship cover and roof penetration terms usually sit apart from the equipment warranty, and often with different parties. Photographs, dated notes, and the original scope of work carry real weight when you raise it.
Anything carrying a date and a signature. Your agreement, the estimate, permits, the inspection result, warranty terms, and the message trail all matter, and roof photos round it out. Send me the lot and I will tell you what is missing.
Mostly it depends on how much there is to read. A single lease moves fast, while a loan stacked with repair complaints needs real time. I give you a timeline before I open the first page.
Every contract carries its own wording. Send the specifics and get a plain answer back.
