UAD 3.6 and Solar Valuations: What Appraisers and Lenders Need Before November 2
UAD 3.6 made solar visible in the appraisal. It did not give anyone the support file.
Beginning November 2, 2026, appraisal reports submitted to the Uniform Collateral Data Portal for loans sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac must use Uniform Appraisal Dataset 3.6. The old form numbers go away. One dynamic Uniform Residential Appraisal Report replaces them. Solar no longer lives only in a closing comment. It sits in structured fields that lenders and review systems can read.
That is the opportunity — and the problem. If the structured field says the system is owned, and the file has no support, the value still comes in at zero.
What UAD 3.6 actually changed
UAD 3.6 adds an Energy Efficient and Green Features section. When solar is present, the report can record:
that a renewable system exists
whether it is owned, leased, or under a power purchase agreement
financing details when the system is owned
photos and exhibits
Those fields make the system easier to find. They do not assign a dollar amount.
Two questions still have to be answered separately:
Can the system be included in the real-property appraisal at all?
If yes, what does the market pay for it?
UAD 3.6 standardizes the first question. Most files still fail the second.The ownership rule has not changed. The visibility has.GSE policy is still straightforward:
Owned outright — paid cash, included in the purchase, or already paid off — may be considered for contributory value.
Leased or PPA systems generally are not included in the appraised value. They still need to be identified.
Financed systems with a UCC-1 or similar claim generally cannot add value if another party can repossess the equipment.
If ownership is unclear, the safe underwriting outcome is usually no solar value until the documents catch up.
So the new risk is not missing a checkbox. It is this: the report now shows that solar exists, the ownership box is “owned,” and there is still no production data, remaining life, local utility analysis, or comparable support behind the number.
Why solar value gets dropped
Appraisers are being asked to classify the system and then defend any adjustment. Typical loan files still contain:
a roof photo
a one-line comment that the home “has solar”
no ownership packet
no system size, age, or output
no local-rate analysis
no sales with similar owned systems
That is not enough for UAD 3.6 review.
Narrative does not override the structured field, and a structured field without support does not create value.
What should be in the file
Treat a solar property as three documents, not one sentence.
Ownership file
Purchase invoice, paid-in-full statement, lease, PPA, or UCC search. This decides whether value is even allowed.
Appraisal file
The UAD 3.6 green-features fields, photos, marketability comments, and any adjustment. This is the appraiser’s report.
Support file
System specifications, remaining useful life, local utility economics, and a documented value range. This is what most files are missing.
A Solar Valuation Report is that third file. It is not a substitute for the appraisal. It is the exhibit appraisers and lenders can attach when the ownership box says “owned” and someone still has to support the number.
What appraisers can use it for:
confirming system size, age, and remaining production
showing local utility rates instead of a generic national assumption
providing a reasoned value range for an owned system
documenting why a leased or PPA system should be identified but not valued
reducing revision requests that say “support solar adjustment”
What lenders should condition before the loan moves
Does the UAD 3.6 classification match the lease, PPA, title, or UCC documents?
If value was given, is the system owned and not repossessable?
If value was not given, was that because of ownership — or because the appraiser had no support?
Is there an exhibit behind any solar adjustment?
A mismatch is easy to spot now: the comment says solar “adds appeal,” the field says leased, and the grid still implies a premium. UAD 3.6 was built to catch that.If you have a solar file on your deskHomeowners should send:
proof of ownership or the lease/PPA
system size and approximate age, if known
the property address
Appraisers and lenders need a support document they can put in the file, not another marketing brochure.
Reports are prepared for existing residential and commercial systems and delivered as a PDF, typically within 2 days.
UAD 3.6 made solar visible. It did not supply the market data. If the system is owned and the file still has no support, that is the gap a solar valuation report is built to fill.
This article is general information for appraisers, lenders, and property owners. It is not appraisal, legal, or underwriting advice. Follow the current Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac selling guides and the UAD 3.6 Policy Supplement for loan-level requirements.
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