According to a journal published by the Appraisal Institute in October 1998, substituting renewable energy systems for purchased utility services will raise a property's value by a multiple of twenty times a dollar of avoided utility costs per year. So if your solar panels produces $1,000 worth of electricity each year, your home's value will increase by $20,000. It will also increase by the total net cost of the solar system. So if you plan to sell your home, the buyer will be able to afford a higher monthly mortgage payment because of the energy savings that will be produced by the installed system. Realtors also agree that in this challenging real estate market, any features that can give your home a competitive advantage over other homes will help it to sell more quickly.