Sunnova for Business: Transfers, EV Charger Costs, and Urgent Solar Installations

If you're here, you've probably got a specific Sunnova question. In my role coordinating commercial solar and EV installations, I've handled more than 40 projects involving Sunnova systems over the last six years—including a few same-day startups that should not have gone well. Below are the questions I hear most from business owners and facility managers, with the direct answers. No fluff.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does Sunnova offer for businesses?

Sunnova is not just residential solar. They offer commercial solar leases and PPAs, plus LFP battery storage and EV charging infrastructure. A typical setup for a business is a rooftop or carport array, a battery to capture excess midday generation, and Level 2 chargers in the parking lot. That works especially well for dealerships, distribution centers, and agricultural operations—like greenhouses—where energy demand is steady and predictable.

You can price it out online or talk to an advisor, but the real value is having a single provider for generation, storage, and charging. That integration is more important than it sounds.

2. How does a Sunnova solar transfer work when we're buying or selling a property?

A Sunnova solar transfer isn't automatic. If you're acquiring a property with an existing Sunnova lease, the new owner has to qualify financially, and there's a transfer fee. In my experience, the fee is usually in the $250 to $500 range, but you need to verify it directly with Sunnova before you get deep into closing. Start the process at least 30 days before your target closing date.

I still kick myself for one deal where we tried to save $300 by skipping the financial review and assuming the new owner would qualify. They didn't—at least not before the closing date. The seller lost the $12,000 contract, and everyone learned the hard way that transfer timelines matter more than the fee. Here's the thing: the transfer request is easier if you have the original lease documents and the system serial numbers handy.

3. How do I contact Sunnova directly?

The fastest way to reach Sunnova depends on what you need. For general questions or a transfer request, use the chat feature on sunnova.com—we've found it avoids the typical hold times. For urgent service issues, call the number on your statement. Honestly, the after-hours line has been the most responsive in our experience.

I don't have hard data on their average response time, but based on more than 50 calls we've placed on behalf of clients, the night shift actually picks up faster. Have your account number, system layout, and any error codes visible before you dial. That alone can save you a callback cycle.

4. How much does it cost to install a Level 2 EV charging station—say, for a BMW i3 in Chapel Hill?

For a commercial site in Chapel Hill, plan on $2,500 to $6,000 per Level 2 charger, before federal incentives. The BMW i3 is a great example because it only pulls about 7.2 kW, so any standard Level 2 unit will work. Hardware is actually the smallest line item—you might spend $700 to $1,200 on the charger itself. The variability comes from a dedicated circuit, panel capacity, conduit routing, permits, and utility coordination.

One dealership job we quoted in Chapel Hill last year came to $5,800 per charger for 12 units. Trenching across an existing parking lot was nearly half that cost. If someone quotes you a flat number without doing a site visit, be skeptical. The difference between a $2,000 and a $20,000 installation is all on the electrical side.

NEC Article 625 covers EV supply equipment. For a Level 2 installation, the charging circuit needs to be a dedicated branch circuit rated at 125% of the continuous load. This is a common oversight—and a common rejection point in inspections.

Also, factor in incentives. The IRA offers a base tax credit for commercial EV charging equipment, and North Carolina has some utility-specific rebates. The net cost can be 30–50% lower if you stack them correctly.

5. Can solar panels actually power a greenhouse?

Yes, but it's not as simple as putting panels on the roof. Most commercial greenhouses use solar for at least a share of their ventilation fans, motorized louvers, irrigation controls, and heating pumps. A solar array can also provide partial shade, which is beneficial for some crops. You'll need a structural engineer to verify that the greenhouse frame can handle the extra loading.

We helped a vertical farm in Durham install a 40 kW system on a greenhouse roof. It covered about 60% of their peak summer load. It was a solid project, but the plan was successful because we tested the structure first. The rule of thumb: if you're growing light-hungry crops, don't cover more than 50% of the roof with opaque panels. Translucent solar panels exist, but they're not mainstream yet.

6. What should I do if I have an urgent solar or EV project deadline?

When a client says “we need this live in two weeks,” the first thing I check isn't equipment—it's the critical path: permits, utility lead times, and what hardware is actually in stock. The biggest mistake I see is someone ordering a cheaper inverter or charger to save $800, then discovering it has a six-week backorder. That's the classic penny-wise, pound-foolish trap.

We lost a contract once because we tried to shorten the schedule by skipping the site survey. The electrical room was full, the planned conduit route didn't work, and the change order cost $9,000. The delay pushed the project past the client's lease deadline. That's when we implemented a mandatory pre-installation audit policy. It has saved us at least twice.

If you're in a rush, ask your contractor directly: “What is the longest lead-time item, and what can we order this week?” That question will tell you more than any equipment comparison.

7. Is solar leasing still a smart move for businesses in 2025?

What was best practice in 2020 may not apply in 2025. The fundamentals of a lease haven't changed—low upfront cost, fixed payments, and no need to monetize tax credits. But the execution has transformed. Utility rate structures, battery economics, and SREC markets are different now. Leasing can still make sense for businesses that can't use tax credits, but it's not the only option. Power purchase agreements and direct ownership with PPA-based financing are both worth a look.

One warehouse we worked with saved $75,000 over a five-year PPA term, and that's after accounting for the lease payment. In another case, a lease looked great until the utility revised net metering. The lesson: run the numbers for your specific load profile and exit plan. Don't sign based on someone's generic pitch.

8. What's the cost of skipping the pre-installation checklist?

Honestly, we didn't have a formal checklist for EV site surveys at the start. It cost us on the third job: the transformer clearance was too small, the inspector red-tagged the installation, and we had to dig a new trench and install a pad-mount transformer. Net result: $14,000 over budget. After that, I built a 22-point pre-installation verification list. Panel capacity, existing loading, conduit path, transformer location, permits, utility notification, clearance distances—all of it gets checked before we quote a firm number.

Trust me on this one: the cheapest quote is not the least expensive quote if you're paying for surprises later. Ask for the checklist before anyone starts work. If they don't have one, that's a red flag.