Should You Get Solar Panels in South Carolina?
How Buying vs. Leasing Affects Home Sales in a Lower-Priced Market
South Carolina homes cost less than in many other states. In 2025, the average price is about $350,000, which is below the national average of $417,000. This means that every dollar matters a lot when you sell your home.
More and more SC homeowners are thinking about solar panels to save energy and help the environment.
Buying solar panels is a good idea. It saves you money on bills and helps your home sell for more.
Leasing solar panels often causes problems when you try to sell your home. It can make the sale take longer and reduce your profit.
This guide looks at why owning panels is better in South Carolina, and why leases are a bigger risk in this lower-priced market.
The Good News: Owning Solar Panels Adds Value
South Carolina gets lots of sun, about 217 sunny days a year. This is great for solar panels. They usually pay for themselves in about 9 years through savings of $1,200 to $1,500 a year on power bills.
When you buy your panels outright or get a loan for them, they are yours. This leads to clear benefits when you sell your home:
You get more money: Homes with owned solar panels sell for about 4.1% more in South Carolina. For a $300,000 to $390,000 home, that's an extra $12,300 to $16,000. Some experts say it could be up to $24,000 in cities like Charleston. This extra money usually covers most of the installation cost.
You sell faster: SC homes with owned solar sell 13-20% quicker—that's 10 to 20 fewer days on the market. This is a big help when you want to sell fast.
Great return on investment (ROI): The government offers a 30% federal tax credit (ends Dec. 31, 2025) and SC offers a 25% state credit. This can cut the price of a $22,000 system down to about $12,000 upfront. Over 25 years, you can save over $30,000, which is a great return on your money. More details can be found at by visiting the South Carolina Energy office website.
When you own solar panels in South Carolina, they are a great investment for your home. You can expect your home's value to go up by 4.1% to 6.9%, which means an extra $14,350 to $24,150 on a $350,000 home. Not only do you get more money, but your house will also sell faster—about 10 to 20 fewer days on the market. In terms of long-term savings, you can save $1,200 to $1,500 every year on your electricity bill, which adds up to over $30,000 in 25 years. Because of the available tax credits, the net cost of the panels is around $12,000, and they typically pay for themselves in just 9 years.
The Bad News: Leased Solar Panels Cause Problems
Leasing panels sounds easy because it's $0 down and you pay a fixed monthly fee (around $100−$200). But in South Carolina, where home prices are lower, these deals can hurt your home sale.
No Extra Value: Home appraisers in SC won't add any value for a leased system. But they do add value for an owned system.
Homes take longer to sell: Real estate agents in SC say that homes with leased panels take 20 to 60 extra days to sell. Buyers don't like having to take on the contract because it's seen as a new debt.
Transfer troubles: When you sell, the buyer has to take over your lease. They need a good credit score (usually over 680) and may have to pay fees. These rules stop about 20% of potential buyers.
Liens and debt: Leases can put a lien on your house, which makes the sale complicated. Sometimes, the seller has to pay thousands of dollars (up to $5,000 or $10,000) to buy the lease out just to complete the sale. This is especially painful in a market with low home prices.
An article by Realtor.com discusses how leased solar panels add debt, impacting buyer affordability by increasing DTI ratios, with SC-specific examples of delayed sales. In short, leased panels give you no price increase to make up for the trouble, and every extra fee or delay costs you more in a lower-priced market like South Carolina's.
The Bottom Line for SC Homeowners
In South Carolina, solar panels are a smart choice, but only if you own them.
Owned panels can add over $14,000 to your home's value and start paying you back quickly. Leased panels risk delaying or killing your sale and reducing your profit.
To protect your sale and get the best value, own your solar panels outright.
The difference between buying and leasing solar panels can easily cost or save you tens of thousands of dollars on a South Carolina home sale. That's a huge difference in this market.
As the team lead for The Patrick O'Connor Team at Coldwell Banker, the top Coldwell Banker Team in South Carolina - I don't just sell houses; I analyze investments. I specialize in understanding exactly how energy upgrades impact equity and resale value in our local market.
Want to know how much owned solar could actually add to your home's listing price? Don't guess.
Contact us today for a free, personalized equity analysis and see your home’s full investment potential.
