Existing Commercial Solar in Vermont
Answers to what owners ask us most: what you have, what it means for your income, and what you can do next.
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Step 1 of 3 · What you have
What do I actually have?
Most owners don't know much about their system, and that's normal. An address and the utility account are enough to start.
I don't know anything about this system. Can you still look at it?
Yes. That's the normal case. With the address and the utility account, we can find the size, start date and state permit from public records and the utility.
Send us the address →How do I find out how old it is or who installed it?
Check the label on the inverter, your state permit or old payment statements. Or just send us the address and we'll look it up.
Is it even working?
Many owners don't know. If your bill credits or VEPP Inc. checks went down and nothing else changed, it may not be. The online monitoring can also be down while the system still runs. We buy systems whether they're running or not.
How to tell if it's still performing →Do I own it, or does someone else?
This is the most important early question. With a power purchase agreement (PPA) or lease, another company may own the system and you only host it. If you don't own it, we can't buy it from you, but we may be able to buy it from the owner. Not sure? Contact us and we'll talk it through.
Talk it through with us →Which program is it on?
Most existing commercial systems in Vermont are on one of two programs. Who pays you tells you which.
Am I on the Standard Offer or net metering?
Look at who pays you. Checks from VEPP Inc. mean a Standard Offer contract. Credits on your power bill mean net metering. If a net metering system applied before 2017, it keeps its first terms for 10 years. Then it moves to the standard rate.
What is the Standard Offer?
A state program that gave small solar plants a long contract at a set price. VEPP Inc., a nonprofit the state picked, buys all the power. The program took its last new projects in 2022.
What is net metering?
Power you send to the grid becomes a credit on your bill. Systems up to 500 kW can use it. Your terms depend on the year your system applied for its state permit.
Who gets my renewable energy credits?
These credits prove your power came from the sun. Under the Standard Offer, they go to Vermont's utilities with the power. Under net metering, it depends on the choice made when your system applied.
Is my system too new for you?
If it started running in 2021 or later, it's under 6 years old. That's newer than the systems we buy. Most of the last Standard Offer projects are that new.
The programs at a glance
- Standard Offer
- VEPP Inc. buys all your power at the price in your contract.
- 10 to 25 years, set in your contract
- Net metering, applied before 2017
- Credits on your power bill, on the first terms.
- First terms last 10 years, then the standard rate
- Net metering, applied 2017 or later
- Credits on your bill, at the standard rate plus or minus a few cents.
- No end date. A site bonus lasts 10 years.
- Started running 2021 or later
- Under 6 years old, so newer than the systems we buy.
| Your system is on | How it pays | For how long |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Offer | VEPP Inc. buys all your power at the price in your contract. | 10 to 25 years, set in your contract |
| Net metering, applied before 2017 | Credits on your power bill, on the first terms. | First terms last 10 years, then the standard rate |
| Net metering, applied 2017 or later | Credits on your bill, at the standard rate plus or minus a few cents. | No end date. A site bonus lasts 10 years. |
| Started running 2021 or later | Under 6 years old, so newer than the systems we buy. |
How to check which program you are on
- Find your state permit. It is called a Certificate of Public Good (CPG). It shows when the system applied and the terms it got. Look it up on ePUC, the state's online case system.
- Look for a Standard Offer contract. Your price and end date are in Attachment F. VEPP Inc. lists every plant on its plants built page.
- Check your power bills. Net metering credits show up there. Your utility can send copies.
- Still stuck? Ask us. We look these up all the time.
Step 2 of 3 · What it means
What happens when my Standard Offer contract ends?
The set price stops. Vermont's rules don't say what comes next, so you would need a new buyer for the power. Contracts run 10 to 25 years, so check your end date now.
The Public Utility Commission (PUC) is the state agency that sets these rules. The Standard Offer opened in 2009. Net metering rules changed in 2017. Either way, the end of your first terms is often when owners rethink the system.
When does my Standard Offer contract end?
10 to 25 years after the system started running. The date is in Attachment F of your contract. The first plants started in 2010.
Questions to ask about your contract →Can I sell a system that has a Standard Offer contract?
Yes. The contract can move to the buyer. The new owner tells VEPP Inc. in writing within 30 days.
My net metering system applied before 2017. When do my terms change?
Your first terms last 10 years from the day the system started. Then your credits move to the standard rate. They also stop covering some fixed charges on your bill.
Why did my bill credits drop?
If your system applied before 2017, its 10 years may be up. If it applied later, a bonus for a good site may have ended after 10 years. Your state permit shows the year it applied.
What is my net metering credit worth now?
The standard rate is about 21 cents per kWh since August 1, 2026. The state resets it every two years. If you kept your renewable energy credits, it's about 4 cents less.
Vermont PUC: net metering ↗Can I fix or replace equipment without losing my terms?
Yes. Repairs and same-for-same swaps need no state approval. Adding more than 5% or 15 kW of panels can change your terms.
Will I have to take the system down someday?
Many ground systems of 150 kW or more must come down when they stop running. This covers systems that applied after August 2017. Rooftops and parking lot canopies are not covered. Permits from before then may have their own rules, so check yours.
Vermont's removal rule ↗What happens to my net metering if I sell to you?
Net metering stays in place. We keep the system net metered, and you pay us the per-kWh rate set in your power agreement. That rate is lower than what the grid charges you. A Standard Offer system isn't net metered, so its contract moves with the system instead. During due diligence, we'll confirm exactly what your system receives today.
Does my state permit move with a sale?
Yes. If you sell the land with the system, the new owner tells the utility. If you sell just the system, the new owner files a form within 30 days.
Step 3 of 3 · Your options
What are my options with an existing Vermont solar system?
You can keep running it yourself, fix it up, or sell it as-is to a buyer who takes over everything. Here's what owners ask us before they decide.
Are you the right buyer?
Do you buy residential solar?
No. We buy commercial, industrial and institutional systems only: rooftop, ground mount and carport.
Is my system too small or too old?
It needs to be 6 or more years old. On its own, we look for at least 250 kW. That's about a 30,000 sq ft roof, 2 acres of ground mount or 100 carport spaces. There's no upper age limit.
Which systems we buy →I have more than one system. Can you buy them all?
Yes. You can add each one when you get your estimate, up to 7.5 MW in total. You can also pick just the ones you want to sell.
Why would anyone want a broken system?
Because fixing it costs less than building new, and the panels can keep producing for many more years. That's our whole business.
What's it worth, and what do I get?
What will you pay?
You'll get an estimate in about 23 seconds, based on recent market transactions and standard assumptions about systems like yours. A Letter of Intent follows immediately. The final price depends on what due diligence confirms: the system's age and condition, how many years of state incentive income it has left, and the terms of any power contract it has.
Get your estimate →Is the estimate a firm offer?
No. The price can change after our site visit and our review of the papers. Nothing is final until you sign our written offer.
Do I have to pay to remove it?
No. You avoid removal and cleanup costs completely. That's one of the main reasons owners sell.
What if the roof needs replacing?
This comes up a lot. We work out with you who pays for taking the panels off and putting them back, and we do the work.
Are there taxes when I sell?
Talk to your accountant about your own tax picture. We only buy systems after the 5-year federal tax credit (ITC) recapture window has closed, so selling to us won't trigger a recapture of the credit you or a prior owner claimed.
How does it work?
How long does it take?
You get an estimate in seconds and a Letter of Intent immediately. Due diligence moves at your pace: the faster you send us documents and site access, the faster it goes. Closing follows shortly after.
How selling works →My paperwork is a mess. Is that a problem?
No. Sorting it out is part of what we do. Gather what you can: utility bills, any contracts, SREC statements and the installer's name.
Documents that help →Does my bank, landlord or tenant need to sign off?
Often, yes. Loans, liens and lease approvals come up during our review, and we help you work through them.
Do you need to come on site?
Yes. We only buy in the Northeast, within driving distance, so we come and see the system ourselves.
What happens to my maintenance and monitoring contracts?
We take over the contracts that come with the system, including maintenance. If the company is doing good work at a fair price, we usually keep them on.
Why should I trust you?
Our founder has built and run more than 200 solar projects across the Northeast over 15 years.
Meet the team →What happens after I sell?
If the panels stay on my roof, am I still involved?
Only as the host, and on better terms than you have now. We'll put a roof lease and power agreement in place, and you'll pay a fixed per-kWh rate, agreed in that contract, that's lower than what the grid charges you. With utility rates rising, those savings grow over time. We run and maintain the system and pay for it, keeping it safe and secure. You don't manage anything.
Who do I call if something leaks or breaks?
Us. We carry the insurance and the liability.
What if I sell the building later?
We stay on the roof under the lease. That usually makes the sale easier, because a buyer who doesn't want to own solar doesn't have to.
Selling a building with solar on it →We're here to help.
Send us what you know about your system, even if it's just the address. We'll help you work out where you stand, whether or not you sell.
More from the solar guide
Other states we buy in
- New Jersey →Legacy SRECs, TRECs or SREC-IIs, and when each one ends
- New York →Net metering, Phase One or the Value Stack, plus NY-Sun
- Massachusetts →SREC-I, SREC-II or SMART, and what happens when they end
- Maryland →Falling SREC values, the 2 MW limit and the 2027 net metering change
- Washington, DC →SRECs with no end date, and what can cost you certification
- Pennsylvania →Low SREC prices, supplier switching and the Act 44 decommissioning law
Start at the solar guide for the questions every owner has, or see the documents that help when you sell.
What is your system worth?
Get a price range in about 23 seconds, free and with no obligation. A final price depends on the system's condition, contracts and records.
Get my 23-second estimate →Rather talk first? Contact us.