We would especially like to thank the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (Solar Energy Technologies Office) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231 for supporting this work. As well, we thank the many external reviewers for providing valuable comments on earlier drafts. Of course, any remaining errors or omissions are our own.

-As PV installations increase across the U.S., there will be a point when an appraiser will have the opportunity to value the PV system as part of a property sale or re-finance. Proper valuation techniques as applied to solar PV are necessary to reflect the increase in market demand for solar PV systems. Appraisers must follow the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices (USPAP) when valuing solar PV systems, which means that appraisers must gain competency to 1) accurately recognize the value proposition of a PV system, and 2) develop the PV system's market value as it contributes to the property. The challenges currently faced by property owners with installed PV are whether the PV system adds market value to the property, and finding an appraiser with competency. Not all markets are the same, and PV market values will vary considerably based on many factors that include, but are not limited to the adoption rate in the particular market, the utility rate paid by the customer, the PV system's condition, aesthetics, and obsolescence. This paper will discuss how past challenges with respect to proper PV system valuation are being addressed in a standard fashion, along with the far-reaching benefits that may be available to future PV adopters as valuation concepts are ultimately recognized and adopted by valuation professionals, real estate agents, mortgage lenders and underwriters.

Capturing the value that solar photovoltaic (PV) systems may add to home sales transactions is increasingly important. Our study enhances the PV-home-valuation literature by more than doubling the number of PV home sales analyzed (22,822 homes in total, 3,951 of which are PV) and examining transactions in eight states that span the years 2002-2013. We find that home buyers are consistently willing to pay PV home premiums across various states, housing and PV markets, and home types; average premiums across the full sample equate to approximately $4/W or $15,000 for an average-sized 3.6-kW PV system. Only a small and non-statistically significant difference exists between PV premiums for new and existing homes, though some evidence exists of new home PV system discounting. A PV green cachet might exist, i.e., home buyers might pay a certain amount for any size of PV system and some increment more depending on system size. The market appears to depreciate the value of PV systems in their first 10 years at a rate exceeding the rate of PV efficiency losses and the rate of straightline depreciation over the asset's useful life. Net cost estimates-which account for government and utility PV incentives-may be the best proxy for market premiums, but income-based estimates may perform equally well if they accurately account for the complicated retail rate structures that exist in some states. Although this study focuses only on host-owned PV systems, future analysis should focus on homes with third-party-owned PV systems.

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