If you’re looking to reduce your energy bill without having to make any upfront costs, you may be interested in a solar lease. A solar lease is a long term financial contract where you pay someone else for the solar equipment and electricity it produces.
A solar lease can be a good option for homeowners who want to go solar, but it’s important to understand what you’re signing up for.
No Upfront Cost
Solar leases are an excellent option for homeowners who don’t have the money to purchase a solar system upfront. They typically require little to no money down and offer a fixed monthly payment that is lower than your current utility bill.
However, if you want to maximize your long-term savings from a solar system, it’s best to buy the panels yourself and pay them off over time. You can do this through a loan or by making an upfront cash payment.
Buying the panels yourself means that you’ll also get to take advantage of all of your tax credits and other incentives. It also allows you to participate in net metering programs, which allow you to sell your excess solar energy back to the grid for credit.
On the other hand, leasing your solar panels means that you’ll never own them and won’t benefit from the high ROI of a cash purchase. It can also make it harder to sell your home, since buyers may be hesitant to accept a lease.
No Maintenance
The solar industry is constantly reinventing itself, and a solar lease offers an ideal opportunity to nab the latest and greatest in the solar technology space. With a little research, you can find companies that offer all-inclusive protection, from panels to mounting hardware, installation to maintenance – all at no out of pocket cost to the homeowner.
Despite the fact that they are a bit pricey to purchase, solar panels are still one of the greenest home improvement projects on the books. You can also reap the benefits of state and federal tax incentives by securing a power purchase agreement (PPA) with your utility provider.
The biggest drawback to a solar lease is that you won’t be the proud owner of an energy efficient, eco-friendly home upgrade for very long. And if you’re not careful, you could wind up paying more for electricity than you actually produce. Luckily, our solar experts have you covered. So the next time you’re ready to put your best foot forward, give us a call for the best solar experience in the state of Mississippi.
No Taxes
Solar leases are a great way for homeowners to save money on their energy bills. They’re also easy to understand, and they don’t require any upfront investment or maintenance.
The main advantage to leasing is that you don’t have to pay taxes on the value of the panels, which the leasing company will enjoy as they pass it along to you in monthly payments. In addition, you won’t be able to claim any tax incentives that belong to the leasing company, like the 30% federal solar tax credit or state credits.
A key challenge in all solar deals is getting a step up in asset basis so that the tax benefits are calculated on the fair market value of the project instead of its cost. Inverted leases, which raise the least amount of tax equity, do that by letting the capital contribution from the tax equity investor move to the solar company as prepaid rent.
No Upfront Investment
One of the key benefits of a solar lease is that there are no upfront investment costs associated with the solar panels and solar equipment. You simply pay the leasing company for a set amount of energy, and it will produce that energy for you in exchange.
While this may be a great deal for homeowners, it can come with some issues. For example, you may lose some of your savings if the electric bill increases faster than you anticipated, or if the solar panel doesn’t perform as well as expected.
However, if you decide to move and sell your home, you can transfer the lease to a new owner, provided they meet certain credit requirements and agree to take over the payments. It might also be possible to include the system in the sale price, depending on the details of the contract.
In addition to the savings, ownership of a solar system adds value to your home. This can be a huge benefit for those who plan to sell their homes in the future.