{"id":8694,"date":"2010-09-17T10:24:01","date_gmt":"2010-09-17T15:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sustainablog.org\/?p=8694"},"modified":"2010-09-17T10:24:01","modified_gmt":"2010-09-17T15:24:01","slug":"solar-leasing-an-exciting-new-way-to-get-solar-panels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/solar-leasing-an-exciting-new-way-to-get-solar-panels\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar Leasing: An Exciting New Way to Get Solar Panels"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sunrunhome.com\/uploads\/media_items\/homepage-featured-orange-dad.540.330.279.279.1103.845.c.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"373\" \/>There are many ways to go about getting solar panels on your home. \u00a0Most of them involve hiring a good contractor to design and install a system on your roof. \u00a0And, unfortunately, it often involves spending a lot of money up front on the system and installation. \u00a0Fortunately, there are alternatives that are rapidly evolving that can bring the initial cost of the system down to something much more affordable and sometimes can cost NOTHING up front.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>What are they?<\/h2>\n<p>They comes in many forms, but for the most part they are called solar leasing programs. \u00a0You may also hear them called solar financing, solar power purchase agreements, or solar rental programs.<\/p>\n<h2>How do they work?<\/h2>\n<p>They vary slightly, but here are the basics:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You contact a solar leasing program provider (we\u2019ll discuss them below)<\/li>\n<li>The provider comes to your home and determines if your home qualifies for their program. \u00a0They evaluate things like sun exposure, roof angle and access issues.<\/li>\n<li>If your home is right for solar power, the company usually collects a deposit and you sign an agreement ranging from 10-20 years. \u00a0In some cases, depending on local solar incentives, the provider may not require any money from you. \u00a0That\u2019s right, your system may be FREE!<\/li>\n<li>The provider hires the installer and oversees the installation. \u00a0They also manage all maintenance and warranty issues with the system.<\/li>\n<li>The provider collects any and all utility incentives and tax breaks.<\/li>\n<li>You immediately start seeing benefits in lower power bills. \u00a0The solar leasing company is essentially selling you power at a reduced rate that they generate from the panels. \u00a0Savings vary from 5% to 25% on monthly electric bills.<\/li>\n<li>Here\u2019s where it gets really good: your power rates from the leasing company are locked in for the life of the agreement. \u00a0So when the utility rates start to rise (and they most definitely will) your rates will stay the same and your power savings will really take off.<\/li>\n<li>You get the satisfaction of generating clean, renewable energy while helping the planet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What&#8217;s the catch?<\/h2>\n<p>There are of course some qualifications for the program. \u00a0People who qualify generally meet these guidelines:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>They live in states with great solar incentives like Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. \u00a0Programs will be in place very soon for other places like Texas and Florida.<\/li>\n<li>They are serviced by a major utility that has a solar incentive program in place, not a local or municipal power cooperative.<\/li>\n<li>They have a large space on the roof that is clear of obstructions and faces south.<\/li>\n<li>They have a desire to save money and help the planet at the same time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How do I find a solar leasing provider?<\/h2>\n<p>There are several major solar leasing firms nationwide. \u00a0They include <a href=\"http:\/\/sunrunhome.com\">SunRun<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/sunpowercorp.com\">SunPower<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/solarcity.com\">SolarCity<\/a>. \u00a0All of these companies have an online form that you can fill out to be contacted for an estimate. \u00a0There are other programs nationwide, and you can find out more by contacting your utility provider or finding a local solar contractor. This can be a great way to get solar installed on your home and start seeing the benefits of renewable energy right away.<\/p>\n<p><em>Kriss Bergethon is a writer and solar expert from Colorado. \u00a0Please visit his site at <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spheralsolar.com\/\"><em>Solar Panels<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Looking at integrating solar power into your home&#8217;s energy mix? Check out our current listings of <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/categories\/renewable-energy\/solar-products\">solar energy products<\/a><\/em><em>, including <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/categories\/renewable-energy\/solar-products\/solar-panels\">panels<\/a><\/em><em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/categories\/renewable-energy\/solar-products\/grid-tie-solar-systems\">grid tie systems<\/a><\/em><em>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/categories\/renewable-energy\/solar-products\/solar-inverters\">inverters<\/a><\/em><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Photo<\/strong> courtesy\u00a0of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sunrunhome.com\/\">SunRun<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are many ways to go about getting solar panels on your home. \u00a0Most of them involve hiring a good contractor to design and install a system on your roof.&nbsp;[ &hellip; ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,7],"tags":[91,3422,4625,4626,4627,4628],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Leasing Solar Panels: An Affordable Alternative?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Not ready to plunk down tens of thousands of dollars to buy solar panels for your home? 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