Solar services
Solar second opinion
What a proposal review checks, what you need to bring, and the red flags it is designed to catch.
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Written by HyreSolar Research Desk Primary-source research and fact checking
The short answer
A solar second opinion is an independent read of a proposal before you sign it. It checks that the system size matches your usage, that the price per watt is in line, that financing fees are visible, that the production estimate is realistic, and that the contract terms are ones you can live with.
Why review a proposal at all
The CFPB found 10 to 30% financing fees inside some solar loan prices.
The FTC says anyone demanding immediate signature or payment is a red flag.
A year of bills tells you what you use.
What a proposal review checks
Five things decide whether a proposal is fair.
Twelve months of bills against the design’s estimated annual production.
Price divided by system watts, compared with the cost-per-watt guide.
Dealer fees, the APR, and whether the loan price exceeds the cash price.
Any proposal still subtracting a 30% residential credit is wrong: Section 25D ended for 2026 expenditures.
Escalators, lien language, cancellation window, workmanship warranty.
What to bring
The proposal itself, a year of electric bills, the contract or loan agreement if you have it, and the installer’s name and license number. Our proposal analyzer does the arithmetic part; the solar scam check covers the sales-tactic part.
How to run your own second opinion
Proposal, bills, any contract draft.
Estimated production against your annual usage.
Cash price per watt, then financing on top.
Rate escalation, tax credit, degradation.
Escalator, lien, cancellation, warranty.
A second installer pricing the same system.
What a review looks at in the price
A second opinion is mostly about the price line items. These are the ones that hide money.
| Factor | Effect on a solar Second Opinion quote |
|---|---|
| Dealer fee | Built into the loan amount; ask for the cash price to reveal it. |
| Oversizing | Panels you will not use if export is paid at a low rate. |
| Adders | Panel upgrade, trenching, critter guard: real but negotiable. |
| Escalator | A lease or PPA price that rises every year. |
| Assumed credits | An expired residential credit inflating savings. |
Check the fee with the dealer fee calculator.
Questions to put back to the seller
Your inquiry
Tell us about your home
Nothing goes to a solar professional unless you agree.
Free, with no obligation: a person reads it and gets back to you. Matching is not live yet, so this is not a quote.
Get Solar Options
If you have done your research and want to speak with a solar professional, HyreSolar can help you explore available options.
Questions
Should I get a second opinion on a solar quote?
Can I still cancel after signing?
Does HyreSolar review proposals?
Written and audited by
HyreSolar Research
Primary-source research, data analysis and fact checking
We are a research desk, not a sales floor. We read the statute, the tariff, the code section, the federal filing or the manufacturer data sheet ourselves, and we publish the figure with the document it came from and the date we retrieved it.
Where a number cannot be traced to a primary source, we publish the shorter page and say what we could not verify. That rule has cost us whole sections, and it is why the rest can be checked.
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- primary sources read and cited
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- figures with a retrieval date
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- federal and state government sources
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- researched pages published
Authorship on this site is organizational: the analysis belongs to the desk rather than to a named individual, and we do not publish credentials we do not hold. Our editorial policy sets out how we source, date and correct what we publish.
Sources & retrieval dates
This page on solar Second Opinion is general and varies by location, utility tariff, building code, roof and your own circumstances. It is not tax, legal or engineering advice. HyreSolar is an independent information site: we do not install, finance, service or inspect solar systems, and we do not supervise or warrant anyone who does.