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10 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | APRIL 2026 By Suzette Strauss, Resident Realtor Why write about solar contracts? I'm glad you asked. As a realtor, I have come across homes that have a solar system installed and find myself reading contracts. is is becoming increasingly more frequent and some of the contracts, quite frankly, blow my mind. I think the solar industry must have some of the most convincing salespeople, perhaps even exceeding that of the proverbial "used car salesman." My sincere hope is that when one of these masters of sales comes to your door, you will be well-informed and well-read before signing that contract. Purchase-to-Own: e solar company leases the equipment for a short period of time, say five to seven years, then transfers ownership to the buyer. is way the solar company takes advantage of the federal tax credits during the first five years. But wait, they get the credits while you pay for the system? Yes. Lease-Plus: is plan is oen used with newly built homes. is offers "No Down Payment" and "No Maintenance Fees" with a set monthly bill that may be lower if you use less power than produced. Unfortunately, there oen aren't enough panels to adequately produce during high-use months. is results in either an additional monthly bill from your electricity provider or a large Settlement Bill. One such family told me their Settlement Bill was $1,034 in the first year and showed up just in time for Christmas. Ho-Ho-Holy-Moly! PPA or Power Purchase Agreement: Personally, I think this contract should be considered criminal, especially when offered to seniors. is contract comes in two parts: the PPA (about four pages) and the Easy Plan Power Purchase Agreement Balanced Billing document (about 41 pages). is contract states "NOTE: YOU ARE ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE POWER, NOT TO PURCHASE THE SYSTEM. YOU WILL NOT OWN THE SYSTEM INSTALLED ON YOUR PROPERTY." is option is usually for 25 to 30 years. I have seen the initial monthly payment range from $107 to $126; however, a PPA includes an Escalator. No, I don't mean your own moving staircase. I mean your monthly payment goes up every year at a rate of typically 2.90%. Now you may say "But an escalator goes up and down… right?" e system's value goes down yearly. e PPA seems to be confusing. e contract I have in front of me states, "You have a fixed monthly payment PPA." Doesn't fixed mean fixed? On page two it states, exactly like this, "Your PPA "MAY" or "MAY NOT" have a payment escalator. If your PPA HAS a payment escalator, your PPA payment will INCREASE ANNUALLY by 2.90%." Page three states, "current utility rate… with estimated utility rate increases of 2.9% annually." Who can guess the missing word? Escalator! Not May or May Not, wrong! It absolutely will increase is the truth. Your bill escalating to $255 in the last year of your PPA may suit you but try to sell your house with that. Buyer beware. By Pam Yang, Resident I have been planning to write an article for e View for some time about Friendship Quilters, which meets the third Friday of the month, at 1 pm in the Stonecreek room. It's a wonderful group of ladies with over 40 members. I always tell women I am meeting for the first time that they should check us out… emphasizing that they don't need to quilt but simply appreciate quilts. During our meetings, members share quilting projects they have finished or quilts from their past. However, being a procrastinator, it wasn't until this past month that I felt so moved that I am writing it now. On Feb. 20, Ann Lontz shared this quilt she lovingly designed and craed for her son, Brian. He retired in 2013 aer 22 years of service, as Staff Seargent in the US Marine Corps. I think you will all agree Ann did a spectacular job, creating a wonderful memory quilt using Marine Corp T-shirts Brian has worn over the years. She explained to us how she stabilized the t-shirt fabrics, some of which were extremely thin from years of wear. Listening to Ann as she continued explaining some of her design decisions, I felt tears come to my eyes as I was absorbing this quilt that holds her heart and honors her son. Please join us. Friendship Quilters Solar Contracts — Buyers Beware

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