⚠️ 2026 update on the federal tax credit
The 30% federal residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired on December 31, 2025 for systems you buy with cash or a loan. Cost and savings figures on this page that assume that credit may be out of date. Two things still apply: Nevada's sales-tax and property-tax exemptions and NV Energy net metering, and systems on a lease or PPA may still qualify for a federal incentive through the end of 2027. For numbers that reflect today's incentives, book a free review and talk to a tax professional about your situation.
Short answer: technically yes, practically almost never. Removing and reinstalling a 7–10 kW solar system costs $8,000–$14,000 — about 60% of what a brand-new system costs in 2026. You also lose the original system warranty in most cases. For 99% of homeowners I work with, leaving panels behind and capitalizing the value into the sale price is the better move.
The math, plainly
A 9 kW system costs about $25,600 installed in Vegas in 2026 (cash price, Nevada sales-tax exemption applied — the 30% federal credit ended in 2025). To remove it, transport it, and reinstall on a new home: $8,000–$14,000. The panels you take have already used 3–8 years of their 25-year warranty. So you're paying ~70% of new-system cost for a system worth ~75% of new. The math doesn't work unless your moving cost is somehow free.
Why moving solar is more expensive than you'd think
- Removal labor: 1–2 days for a typical residential array
- Disposal of damaged components (some panels crack on removal)
- Roof repair on the source home (mounting hole patching, flashing replacement)
- New permits, engineering review, and HOA approval at the destination
- New inverter and racking — old hardware rarely fits new roof geometry
- Reinterconnection with the new utility (NV Energy, SCE, PG&E all have separate processes)
- Warranty void on most major panel manufacturers if removed and reinstalled
The warranty issue most people miss
Most major panel manufacturers (Q Cells, REC, Maxeon, Silfab) void the 25-year product warranty when the system is removed and reinstalled at a different address. The panels still work — but if one fails in year 12, you have no warranty claim. This is the single biggest reason I tell clients not to bother.
What actually happens at sale
In Clark County, owned solar systems consistently appraise as a positive. Zillow data and local appraiser conversations point to recovery of 60–95% of system cost in sale price, depending on age. So if you spent $19,000 on a 5-year-old system, you're recovering roughly $12,000–$17,000 in the sale price — without paying $10,000 to move it.
The leased system trap
This is different. If you have a leased or PPA system, you have three choices when selling:
- Buy out the lease and convey to the buyer (clean transfer)
- Transfer the lease to the buyer (assuming they qualify)
- Have the leasing company remove the system (rare, often expensive)
Leased systems are the #1 reason solar deals fall out of escrow in Las Vegas. If you're shopping solar today, owned > leased every time for resale flexibility.
The two cases where moving panels makes sense
- The system is under 18 months old AND you're moving to your forever home AND the panel manufacturer specifically permits relocation. Rare but real. Maxeon used to be the only one I knew of with explicit relocation approval.
- You're moving to a location with no installer access (very rural, off-grid). Then the moving cost beats the no-availability cost.
That's it. I've never had a client meet those criteria in 9 years.
A real Summerlin story
Last year a client called me 14 months after his install. He'd accepted a job in Tucson and wanted to take the panels. We ran the numbers: $11,200 to remove and reinstall, plus he'd lose the LG warranty (LG had exited residential by then anyway), plus 6 weeks of no production while we permitted in Pima County. He left them on the house, sold for $24,000 over comp, and bought a fresh 8 kW system in Tucson for about $22,800. He came out thousands ahead by leaving them behind.
What to ask before you sign anything
- Does the panel manufacturer's warranty survive removal and reinstall? (Get the answer in writing.)
- What does the leasing/loan company require if I sell within 5 years?
- What's the typical solar premium on resale in my zip code?
- Is the system grandfathered into my current net metering tier, and does that transfer to a buyer?
That last one matters in Nevada — the NV Energy net metering tier attaches to the system at the address, and the rate locks for 20 years from interconnection. That locked rate is part of what makes solar add value at sale.
For California sellers
California's NEM 3.0 / NEM 2.0 grandfathering is similar — a NEM 2.0 system at the address holds that grandfathered rate at sale. NEM 2.0 systems sell at a meaningful premium because new buyers can't get NEM 2.0 rates anymore.
Common mistakes
Treating panels as personal property like a fridge. They're not. They're affixed to the home, in the appraisal, and tied to the address-bound utility agreement. Pulling them is rarely worth it.
Bottom line
You can take your panels. You almost never should. Capitalize the value into your sale price and buy fresh at the new home — you'll come out ahead in 99% of scenarios. Get a quote for the new place when you land somewhere new.