Rooftop Solar Leasing Dominating Residential Market in California

by Chris Clarke

on July 16, 2012 9:51 AM

If you've been to a large chain hardware store recently, you've seen the display kiosks in the aisles that tell you you can install solar panels on your home for no upfront costs. The companies behind these ads make up what just might be the fastest growing section of California's renewable energy trade: solar leasing companies.

The basic idea behind solar leasing is that a firm will inspect a property, determine whether it's suitable for solar and how much, then install solar photovoltaic panels. Property owners don't have to shell out thousands of dollars in upfront costs; many pay nothing upfront at all. Instead, they pay a fixed-rate monthly lease fee to the leasing company. The property owners pay less in lease fees than they did in monthly electric bills, and they get the satisfaction of consuming renewable electricity.

To read the entire article go to: http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/solar/photovoltaic-pv/rooftop-solar-leasing-dominating-residential-pv-in-california.html