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I went solar to boost my home’s value

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February 27, 2026

I’ve lived in Dallas since 1992. After what feels like several different careers, I’m retired now. Most recently I worked in the finance industry, so I know how to run the numbers. These days, my wife and I travel a fair amount. You have to be open to whatever kind of opportunities come along. Some nights it’s chamber music, other days it’s movies. We like staying curious and engaged.

That mindset carries into how we make decisions, including the decision to go solar.

I certainly believe in climate change, and going solar felt like an opportunity to put our money where our mouth is and actually do something. I like to say “keep stumbling forward,” and this was our way to do our little piece. The tax credits made a big difference in our decision as well, but it wasn’t just about the numbers. I liked the idea that Solar United Neighbors was working with the city to get economies of scale by bringing a number of different people together to go solar. The real impetus for us was the city’s program.

Going solar would be a net positive for the resale value of our home. When you start stacking all of those things together, the decision becomes pretty clear.

Finding Solar United Neighbors and asking the right questions

We first heard about the Switch Together program through an insert in the water bill. When we received the installer’s proposal, I was very impressed with how quickly it was turned around and how detailed it was, especially the breakdown of the number of panels and what the system would look like. That level of detail gave me confidence.

Of course, we still had questions. We talked with two different realtors about property values, and they mentioned that prospective home buyers can have concerns about buying a home with a solar lease attached to it. We had already decided we were going to purchase in order to be sure we got the federal tax credit, so that wasn’t an issue for us.

I was also concerned about homeowners insurance. We double checked with our providers, and it added about $100 to our annual premium, which felt pretty negligible. The real key question for me was property appraisal. Finding out that in Texas, by law, your property appraisal cannot increase because you have solar panels was huge.

Candidly, I assumed the city had done its due diligence in choosing SUN. The group buying model saved us from having to figure out who to go with. That mattered.

While we were considering solar, we also received an unsolicited bid from another vendor. It was 25% higher than the vendor chosen with SUN. That sealed the deal for us in deciding to go with the city’s endorsed program.

The installation process

The installer we were connected with was very responsive and kept us informed about timing and next steps. They set our expectations realistically. Once everything was installed, the system has been completely hassle free.

At one point, I noticed that two panels were performing less than the panels next to them. I called, and they came out without charge and adjusted the panels. I’ve had no issues, and it’s great knowing they’re responsive and show up when they’re supposed to.

People are often surprised by how much energy the system generates. There are many days when we’re net exporters to the grid. I looked back at our original proposal, which estimated about 11,000 kilowatt hours annually. When I checked our actual production for the calendar year, it was closer to 10,000. That’s about a 10% difference, but overall the system has still overperformed what we were originally led to expect, which was around 80%. We’re closer to 90%, and that gives us a good feeling.

I’ve been keeping track of our usage as well. I charted what our average use was for the three prior years and have continued tracking since installation. When the house eventually goes on the market, I expect solar will be a significant plus.

Talking about solar with others 

When friends and neighbors find out we have solar, they’re often surprised at how positive the experience has been and how much energy the system produces. There are many days where we export more than we import. With the credits from our plan, we really don’t start paying much until probably July, and even then it’s way less than what it used to be.

If someone is skeptical, I usually come back to this. From a home sale perspective, solar will never be a negative. It may not be as big a positive, but it will never be a negative. For me, it’s also about saving money, certainly, but it’s about doing right with the environment and being part of the solution, not part of the problem. Going solar has been a positive experience for us, and I’m glad to be able to help give people a real sense of what it’s actually like.

I would absolutely recommend the program without any hesitation. I’d show people what we’ve done and say, here’s the proof.

— Dorie Cranshaw