Going solar is an investment, and it is commonly met with a series of objections, many
of them the byproduct of misconception or perspectives askew. That said, solar
companies should never let what solar prospect fears intrude on what he or she
knows.
The best way to handle an objection to solar power, whether you’re convincing your
spouse to opt into residential solar or if you run a large business operation that needs to
reduce its energy expenses, is to break down the roadblocks forming the objection. Here
are some effective ways to convince the powers that are, well, in power but not
necessarily in the know when it comes to power, about the value solar power has. “I Can’t Afford Solar.”
If you can afford a power bill, you can afford at least half of what your power bill will
cost, which solar, at the very least, makes possible.
Ask the person at what time and how long ago they drew the conclusion that they can’t
afford it? The cost of residential solar has dropped by 70% between 2010 and 2016 and
is still on the decline. You can also pay off part of the system with a solar referral
program. Several of our customers have made $2,000 just by giving us 3 referrals that
installed with us.
“I’m Refinancing My Mortgage on My Home.”
So, you’ll be paying less over a longer period of time, and therefore are likely have to pay
a higher interest rate, which will require you to either change your lifestyle or save more
money. Even if the refinancing saves you money, you can use the leftover change to help
pay for a solar loan. Solar is one of the few ways that you can passively save money. That
said, this is one of the many reasons these conditions wouldn’t disqualify you from solar
power.
“I’m Getting a New Roof.”
Replacing the roof is something that will happen when you get solar. The conservative
lifespan of one of our systems is 30-40 years, and, for instance, an asphalt shingle roof
should be replaced every 25 years. Because of this, we offer to remove the system for the
cost of labor whenever you need to replace your roof. Just to clarify, this is not a service
that we or other solar companies profit from. So, the roof will be able to support the
panels. That’s a good thing. If you bought the panels and had put them on top of a bad
roof, you’d have to do a takedown and reinstall. A new roof ensures you get the
maximum ROI on the panels themselves.
“I’m Not Sure Whether I’m Interested.”
May I ask you one question? Are you satisfied with paying $1-2k every year to the power
company for the rest of your life? If you’re 40, that’s $52,500 dollars on average. Most
people don’t think this is something they can change. You can, but if you are satisfied
with this situation, then I don’t think solar panels are right for you.
“I Have Too Much Debt.”
Well, do you know what your credit rating is? If they say it’s over 670, the debt is not too
much to have affected their credit score, which qualifies them for solar energy. Or, ask
them a simple question: What exactly is debt to them? You are currently in debt to the
power company. You are forced to make a monthly payment for energy. At least when
you get solar, you are only in debt for a few years, as opposed to forever with the power
company, and every single time you turn on a light switch.
“I’m Moving.”
Where to? And in what time frame? Depending on the time frame, a full-service solar
company licensed in the area can either wait to schedule your install at a new property
or do the install, take down, then reinstall.
“Solar is Too Pricey/I Don’t See the ROI.”
When you are beginning your solar journey, you may be doing so with a set of
underlying assumptions about the cost of solar power.
This all depends on what is important to the prospect. Return on Investment? Return
on Impact? Return on incentive? What exactly are they grasping at? Stressing non
monetary features like security from battery backup, being able to power devices when
the grid goes down, and other options are helpful persuaders.
Shoot them links to the below pages. Remember, the estimates these tools produce are
exactly that: Rough estimates. And do remember to tell prospects that we are a high-end
solar provider. The savings may not be as high as our competitors’ but the German-
engineered solar panels/inverters and quality of the right vendors’ service is more than
worth it.
“What About the Tariff?”
There’s yet to be a profitable solar company who’s raised prices on imported solar
panels because of the tariff, therein passing the increased price of it on to its customers.
A debt-free company like Go Solar Group, for instance, won’t raise prices on even it’s
top-tier, German-engineered solar panels and inverters.
“I Thought it Was Free.”
Solar is an investment which, like any good investment, makes you money. Making
money is always better than not spending it, which is all that any free item gives you.
There are some companies that do free solar panels, but we do not recommend that. Let
me explain why. “Free” panels are really “leased” panels, so companies that do these
systems don’t actually give you the panels. Instead, they own the panels, put them on
your roof, then charge you for the power they produce. The solution we recommend is to
purchase the panels through financing them (if you can’t pay with cash). After about 12
years, you own them and the energy they produce.
Your power bill will fluctuate, increase over time, and be there forever. A solar bill
remains at a steady amount for a few years and then you own the system, no more
power bill.
Sunlight is free, but the solar panels and setup themselves are not. And, if you are
connected to the grid, you will still have a small power bill no matter what. Remember,
there’s a difference between going solar for zero down with no upfront payment and
going solar for free. Community-based solar programs are the closest to free that you
can get (aside from the ill advised free solar panels).
“I’m Waiting for Tesla Solar Shingles”
Go Solar Group is a certified Tesla Powerwall Installer, so we love Tesla technology, but
there are downsides to solar shingles.
If you do wait for them, you will be waiting for another 3 to 4 years. And the expenses will
likely not drop at that point to where they are manageable for most people who would
otherwise go solar with regular rooftop panels. 3 to 4 years also reduces the time value
of money and cuts significantly into opportunity cost. Therefore, waiting for solar
shingles hinders the amount of money you can ultimately save with rooftop solar.
Additionally, the price of solar panels is about ¼ of the cost of solar shingles at present
date.
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. This post is written in collaboration with Experts at gosolargroup.com. Image credit is RF123
