Independence

The Independence Pledge: paid by you, and nobody else

We're a fee-only solar advisor with no commissions, no referral fees and no equipment margins. Here is what that means, how we're paid, and what we do when something could look like a conflict.

Book a free fit call How it works

A compass pointing to the sun while brochure-shaped magnets are kept at a distance — The idea
A compass only works when nothing nearby is pulling the needle. We keep the magnets — commissions, referral fees, equipment margins — out of the room.

A fee-only solar advisor takes no commissions and answers to one party: the client. That’s how Center For Solar works. Our income comes from one place, the flat fee you agree to in writing before we start. No installer, manufacturer, lender, developer or utility pays us anything, for anything, at any point.

Here’s a test you can use on anyone giving you solar advice, including us. Ask: how would your income change if I decided to buy nothing? For a salesperson, it drops to zero. For a lead-generation site, it drops too. For us, it doesn’t change at all.

What a fee-only solar advisor with no commissions looks like

Many “free” solar consultations are paid for by someone. Plenty of quote-comparison sites and energy consultants earn money when an installer gets a lead or closes a sale. That model can be useful, but it isn’t independent: the advice is free because the sale isn’t.

Our pledge, listed below, removes every one of those payments. It also removes the quieter pull of gifts, sponsored trips and “preferred partner” arrangements. We have no preferred partners.

How we’re paid

After a free 20-minute fit call, you receive a written scope with deliverables, a timeline and a flat fee. That fee doesn’t change with the size of your system, the financing you choose or whether you buy anything at all. Our fees page explains what shapes a fee, what’s included and how payment works.

If the scope needs to change partway through, we put the change and its fee in writing first. You can decline it.

How we disclose any relationship

Independence isn’t only about money. It’s also about relationships that could tilt judgment. Before we accept a project, we check for anything that could look like a conflict: a team member with a relative at an installer on your bid list, a former employer among the bidders, a past project involving the same developer.

Anything we find goes to you in writing, at scoping. If it could reasonably affect our judgment, we step aside and tell you why.

One case deserves its own sentence. If we’ve reviewed offers from the same solar developer for other landowners, we’ll tell you that. We’ll never share another client’s terms with you, or yours with anyone else.

When we’re the wrong fit

Sometimes the honest answer on the fit call is that you don’t need us. If your real question is about roof structure, wiring or what a contract clause means, you need an engineer, a licensed electrician or an attorney, and we’ll say so before you pay anything. Our scope of services lists exactly where our work stops.

We won’t send you to a particular firm, because we don’t take referral fees from anyone. We will tell you what kind of professional to look for and what to ask them. If a project is too small to justify a fee, we’ll say that too, and point you to our free Proposal Red-Flag Checklist.

Why we’re glad when the answer is “smaller” or “not now”

A seller’s best outcome is the biggest system you’ll sign for. Ours is a decision you won’t regret in year 15.

Sometimes that means a smaller array, sized to the power you’ll actually use at home, because exported energy earns less than retail in much of Kentucky. Our guide to Kentucky net metering explains why. Sometimes it means replacing an aging roof before anything goes on it. Sometimes it means waiting until a lease offer comes back with better terms.

We’re paid the same either way, so “not now” costs us nothing to say. See how an engagement works, from the fit call to the final report.

The pledge

Every member of our team follows these rules on every project.

We take no commissions on any solar system, battery, lease, loan or power purchase agreement.
We take no referral or lead fees from installers, lenders, developers or other advisors.
We earn no margin on equipment, and we don't resell panels, inverters, batteries or anything else.
We accept no payments, gifts, trips or sponsored perks from installers, manufacturers, lenders, developers or utilities.
We're paid one way: a flat fee you approve in writing before work begins.
We disclose any relationship that could look like a conflict, in writing, before you engage us.
We never share one client's documents, prices or lease terms with another client or with a vendor.
We tell you when you need a licensed engineer, electrician, attorney, CPA or financial adviser, and help you prepare questions for them.

How would our income change if you decided to buy nothing? It wouldn't. That's the whole point.

The Independence Pledge

FAQ

Questions about our independence

Do installers pay to be included in an RFP you run?

No. When we run an installer RFP for a client, bidders pay nothing to take part and we receive nothing from the winner. Every bid is scored against the same scope, warranties and assumptions.

Can you recommend an installer?

We don't keep a preferred-installer list, and we never take a fee for a referral. We can help you compare the bids you already have, or run a structured RFP so qualified installers compete on equal terms.

If you aren't paid by the sale, why would you want me to go solar?

We don't need you to. Our job is to tell you whether a specific proposal, lease offer or system makes financial sense for you, using assumptions you can see. Sometimes it does. Sometimes the answer is smaller, later or no.

What if my proposal turns out to be a good deal?

Then we'll tell you, show you why, and list the few points worth confirming with the installer and your attorney before you sign. A fair proposal, confirmed, is a useful result.

Does the pledge apply to your team members personally?

Yes. No one on our team takes side income or gifts from installers, manufacturers, lenders or developers. Team members disclose prior employers and family ties in the industry, and we check those against every new project.