Quick answer: It depends on who owns the system. Owned panels can count toward appraised value. Leased or power purchase agreement systems generally cannot, and a buyer usually takes over the lease or agreement at closing. A PACE assessment stays with the property, and a lender may require it to be paid off when the home is sold or refinanced. Ask the seller for the agreement, the PACE disclosure and any payoff figures before you make an offer, and have a lender and a CPA confirm how each one affects your loan and taxes.
Rooftop solar is common enough now that buyers and sellers in Florida see several versions of it on the same street. Some owners bought the panels outright. Some financed them through a loan or a PACE assessment on the property tax bill. Some lease them or pay for the electricity under a power purchase agreement, or PPA. Each arrangement changes the sale, so the first step is identifying which one applies.
PACE assessments
Florida's Property Assessed Clean Energy statute (s. 163.081) requires the seller to give the buyer a written disclosure at or before contract execution. The required language says the assessment is for a qualifying improvement and is not based on the value of the property, and it encourages the buyer to contact the property appraiser. The assessment is a lien of equal dignity with county taxes and assessments from the date it is recorded, and it is collected as a non-ad valorem assessment under s. 197.3632. An owner must notify existing mortgage holders at least five business days before signing a financing agreement, and a lender may require payoff when the owner sells or refinances. The statute text I could read was the 2024 edition, so confirm the current wording with an attorney.
Palm Beach County's PACE frequently asked questions describe how the program works in practice. The assessment stays with the property. A buyer can take over the balance, and lenders on either side may require payoff. The assessment appears on the annual tax bill as a voluntary non-ad valorem charge. The Florida Realtors disclosure form warns that most mortgage lenders require satisfaction or release of PACE financing. Palm Beach County's description is a county program source, and I did not retrieve St. Lucie County's PACE program documents.
Leased systems and power purchase agreements
A vendor's guide on selling a home with a leased system says the buyer usually assumes the lease at closing. The lessor supplies the transfer documents and runs the buyer's credit check. The buyer may choose to assume the lease, buy out the system at fair market value, or have the seller prepay the lease at a discounted net present value. The guide also notes that early buyouts can be restricted during the tax-credit recapture period. That is a vendor's description, so the terms of your lease or agreement control.
How lenders and appraisers treat solar
Fannie Mae's appraisal guidance says owned systems can contribute to value. Financed panels can contribute only if they cannot be repossessed on default. Leased or PPA panels may not be included in the appraised value, and the lender must document ownership. Those rules are in Fannie Mae's guidance and Selling Guide sections B4-1.3-05 and B2-3-04. I could not access Freddie Mac's guide directly, and a secondary mirror of it describes lease and PPA payments as counting toward debt-to-income only in certain circumstances. I did not find FHA guidance specific to single-family solar, so ask your lender how the loan program treats the system.
Property tax
For residential property, Florida law says the just value of the property attributable to a renewable energy source device may not be considered (s. 193.624(2)(a)). A separate exemption statute, s. 196.182, also addresses renewable energy devices. I did not reconcile how the two sections apply to a rooftop system, so confirm the treatment with the property appraiser or a CPA before you rely on any tax effect.
What to request before you make an offer
Ask the seller for the lease or PPA agreement, the UCC filing information if there is one, the PACE disclosure and the payoff figure if a PACE assessment applies, and the warranty and inverter information. The last item is a practical suggestion, not a legal requirement. Compare what the seller provides with what your lender requires, and bring the documents to your attorney and your lender early.
Advertising and claims
I avoid phrases like "solar adds value" or "free solar" unless the documents support them. Fannie Mae's guidance says appraisers must analyze market reaction to a system and cannot simply adjust value by the cost of installation. Florida prohibits false or misleading real estate advertising (s. 475.25).
What I cannot tell you
I cannot tell you whether a particular buyer qualifies for a loan, how much a system adds to a sale, or what the tax effect will be for a particular owner. Those answers come from a lender, an appraiser, a CPA and an attorney. My job is to make sure the right documents are on the table before the contract deadlines arrive.
Questions buyers and sellers ask about solar panels
Does the PACE assessment end when I sell?
No. The assessment stays with the property. The buyer can take over the balance, or the lender may require payoff at sale or refinance. Confirm the payoff figure and the process with the seller's lender and your own lender.
Will the buyer see PACE on the tax bill?
Palm Beach County describes PACE as a voluntary non-ad valorem charge on the annual tax bill. Check how the specific parcel's bill shows it.
What must the seller disclose?
A written statutory disclosure at or before contract execution, under s. 163.081. Confirm the current wording of the statute and the form the seller provides.
What happens to a leased system at closing?
A vendor guide says the buyer usually assumes the lease. The buyer may also buy out the system or have the seller prepay the lease. The lease's own terms control, so review them with an attorney.
Does solar count toward value?
Owned systems can. Financed panels count only if they cannot be repossessed on default, and leased or PPA panels may not be included in the appraised value under Fannie Mae's guidance.
Are solar systems taxed as added value?
For residential property, s. 193.624(2)(a) says the just value attributable to a renewable energy device may not be considered. How that interacts with s. 196.182 for a rooftop system should be confirmed with the property appraiser or a CPA.
Talk with William. Buying or selling a home with solar panels? Send me the listing and the system paperwork. I will help you identify the ownership type and list the questions for the lender, the attorney and the CPA before you make an offer. Call or text (772) 800-2274 or send a message.
General information, not lending, tax, legal or financial advice. I am a licensed real estate agent, not a lender. Loan eligibility, tax treatment and PACE obligations depend on the documents and the parties. Confirm them with a licensed mortgage loan originator, a CPA and a Florida attorney. Statute references are as reviewed on October 20, 2026; the PACE statute text reviewed was the 2024 edition. William Merchant, REALTOR®, RE/MAX Gold. Each RE/MAX office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Sources
- Florida Statutes 163.081, Property Assessed Clean Energy (2024 text, the most recent we could read)
- Palm Beach County: PACE frequently asked questions
- Florida Realtors: Qualifying improvements disclosure form (PACE)
- Solar.com: Selling a home with leased solar panels (secondary)
- Fannie Mae: Appraisal guidance on solar energy systems (November 2024)
- Freddie Mac Guide 5601.4 via a secondary mirror (not the official guide; unverified)
- Florida Statutes 193.624, Renewable energy source devices (2025)
- Florida Statutes 196.182, Renewable energy source devices exemption (2025)
- Florida Statutes 197.3632, Uniform method for levy of non-ad valorem assessments (2025)
- Florida Statutes 475.25, Discipline of real estate licensees (2025)
