A Good Way To Get Started: Solar Leases

I looked into solar for a couple years trying to figure out how I could afford to install solar on my home, but it was too expensive for most of that time. Then along came a great new option to the marketplace. Solar leases were introduced after the solar power companies secured funding sources that would allow them to install a system for a homeowner and not have to collect the large amount of money needed to cover the solar energy system.

Once I looked into the solar lease option it made perfect sense to get rolling and install solar power on my rooftop. I would bet that it makes sense for you as well as long as you meet some of the requirements. Your roof has to have adequate sun exposure, and your utility bill has to meet a minimum threshold for viability.

Would you like to get a solar system on your roof without having to pay a single cent up front? Solar leases are making it possible for people in several states to go solar with no money down.

The single biggest barrier to going solar has always been the high upfront costs of purchasing solar panels, says Solar City founder Lyndon Rive.

“So we created a service that allowed the homeowner to go solar and save money from day one with no investment on their side. We started the solar lease in 2008, and it has done fantastically,” Rive says.

A solar lease allows you to have a solar system installed on your home with no upfront investment. Instead, you basically rent the system, making monthly payments over a period of 10-20 years that tend to be about 15 percent lower than the average conventional utility bill, says Rive. Historically, utility rates have increased over five percent every year, but with a solar lease, you can lock in lower electricity rates for the term of your lease.

“If financed, solar is less expensive than the conventional forms of electricity generation,” says Danny Kennedy, founder of Sungevity, which also offers solar leases. (Note: Sungevity, a member of Green America’s Green Business Network™, will make a donation to Green America when you sign up to go solar.)

Companies that offer solar leases often don’t charge interest, but recoup costs by accepting the applicable federal, state, and local tax incentives. Most offer free maintenance and cleaning for the entire term of their customers’ leases. The panels themselves are under warranty for about 25 years for customers who lease or buy.

Whether you’re going solar with a group or alone, a solar lease will help you avoid the high up-front costs of buying solar panels. Companies offering solar leases include:

• BrightGrid (BrightGrid.com)
• CentroSolar (877/348-2555)
• Citizenré, (877/660-0131)
• Solar City, (888/765-2489)
• Solar Universe (925/455-4700)
• Sun Edison (888/786-3347)
• Sun Power 800/786-7693)
• Sun Run (855/478-6786) and
• Sungevity, (866/786-4255)

My system was installed by Solar City and they did a very professional job. And with no money down how can you go wrong. Please contact one of the companies above and see about going solar for your energy needs on your home.

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