SunRun

Comparing Solar Leases? Here's What to Look For

While 2011 may mark the first year solar leasing became a widely accepted option to finance and install residential solar systems, 2012 is shaping to be a year of growth - and differentiation - in the niche industry of providing solar leases. Though the basic structure of a solar lease is similar across the board, a number of considerations can greatly affect the customer's experience and overall benefits.

The Solar Lease Mystery Shopper: Part 1

Syndicated from www.solarlease101.com's John Schumpeter.

From the guise of an ordinary customer, I did some investigative work on buying solar panels from each of the "Big Three" solar lease companies - Sungevity, Solar City, and SunRun - in San Francisco. Since the city is the epicenter of these leasing companies, it was easy to get quotes for putting solar on my house here. Even though there are other leasing companies out there, these three companies offer a majority of the volume in the market.

Solar Leases

The table below provides a summary of the the solar leasing companies that offer solar leases in the U.S. For a comparison of the basic terms and conditions of these various leases, click here

Where Can I Get a Solar Lease?

Solar leases are a new way to go solar, which as the name suggests allows you to lease rather than own a home solar power system. The map below shows the states where solar leases are currently offered. Click on a state to find out which leasing companies currently operate in that state.

Informative?