‘I would like to have them off my roof’: Ontario man may have to pay $20K to remove solar panels

An Ontario man installed solar panels onto his roof 12 years ago, and now wants them removed--though it may cost him $20,000 to do so.

An Ontario man says he may have to pay $20,000 to remove the solar panels off the roof of his home—panels that he installed 12 years ago.

“For my family’s safety, I’d love to have the panels off one way or another,” Ryan Adams told CTV News Toronto.

It was a winter with above-average snowfall and, at times, the panels on Adams’s roof would accumulate ice and snow. He says there were instances when the ice and snow would come crashing down on his deck—once even hitting his wife and narrowly missing his son.

“She pushed him backwards, but the snow and ice hit her and knocked her down the stairs, and crushed the barbeque,” said Adams. “Thankfully, she didn’t need to go to the hospital, but it scared her and scared us from coming out here and using the backyard.”

Adams said he installed the solar panels at a time when he felt he should do his part for the environment.

“I took pictures and I put it on social media and said, ‘I’m doing my part for mankind,’ and, unfortunately, it’s cost me over the years,” said Adams.

On top of the collapse, Adams said there have been problems with birds nesting underneath the panels—but for now, he says his main concern is the snow and ice sliding off, creating unsafe conditions around his home.

Adams says he signed a 20-year contract with Pure Energies, now called RSS Solar, to lease his roof space and receives $250 annually.

“Even if they gave me 10 times that amount, I still don’t think I would want the panels on my roof,” said Adams.

When Adams reached out to the company, he said he was surprised by how much he would have to pay to break the contract.

“We’re offering a buyout prices of $20,000 (including HST). The offer is being extended eight years ahead of the original contract term,” RSS Solar told Adams.

Adams says he is willing to work and help the company, but he wants the panels removed from his roof.

In a statement to CTV News, RSS Solar said they have not received any complaints from Adams up until recently, adding that he has been earning his lease payments in line with the contract he signed.

“RSS Solar and its predecessor, Pure Energies, contracted a MicroFit rooftop arrangement with homeowners to lease their rooftops in exchange for lease payments. Under this contract, homeowners receive an annual lease payment and have zero obligation to spend any money on installing or maintaining the rooftop solar system,” the statement reads, adding that they are responsible for maintenance, removal and reinstallation of the panels. RSS Solar says they have been performing this work for the last 12 years.

“If a homeowner wants to terminate the agreement, they may do so in accordance with the terms of the agreement. We remain committed to ethical business practices and fair customer resolution processes,” the company said.

At this time, both sides are still in negotiations.

While adding solar panels to the top of your roof can generate clean energy—and get homeowners a rebate of up to $5,000 under the provinces’ renovations savings program—homeowners should be aware of the details of the contract they sign before installing them.