Comments on: Over 70% of Californians Go Solar Using a Service (Don’t Buy Their Solar Power Systems)

By: Bruce Pirl

Bruce Pirl — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 19:54:00 +0000

I can’t find any either!!

By: Neal

Neal — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 00:28:00 +0000

who cares about the carbon footprint! thats a bunch of junk that no one cares about. Say it in terms people care about – saving money.

By: Not_buying_it_bob

Not_buying_it_bob — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 23:31:00 +0000

“People who had installed solar got a higher price for their house”, probably because until recently most people who had solar had PURCHASED solar. Even if the study looked at people who leased systems, the “extra sales price was greater than the cost of the system” line doesn’t matter, because people aren’t paying the cost of the system… check the APR on leasing systems. And you need to find someone willing to take on your specific lease…. you sooooooo work for a solar leasing company bob… give it a rest. Purchasing is the best option. Some leasing options make sense. Most don’t. depends on the company/agreement. Be diligent when reading your contracts people… or go check out some message boards from people who leased systems. It’s scary stuff.

By: EB

EB — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 21:02:00 +0000

I need Solar Panels but I was told by Solar companies that without a 700 credit score I could not qualify. What’s going on.

By: ronwint

ronwint — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 03:02:00 +0000

In other words 70% of Californians gave away there federal tax credit worth about $10,000.00 on a typical 6kw solar system and agreed to paying up to 20 years worth of lease payments that probably included an annual lease payment increase on a system with Chinese made solar panels that they won’t own after paying out all that money. Not very bright, California.

By: Go Solar (Going Green Tip #9) | PlanetSave

Go Solar (Going Green Tip #9) | PlanetSave — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 19:02:04 +0000

[…] lease solar panels (it’s now the most popular way to go solar in California), […]

By: dune77

dune77 — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:16:00 +0000

Good for you, I’m sure your mommy and daddy are real proud of your Ms/MBA but let me tell you this industry has alot of highly trained and highly skilled indivuals that are competent to do what you think you need all this education for, if that was the case what about Bill Gates, Michael Dell, the list goes on and on of college dropouts or no college at all. If a person has the desire and the commitment to work hard and learn, he or she want be denied even if people like yourself try to set your standards on a industry that is still in it infancy stages, I get what you are saying but let me tell you, we have alot of educated people like yourself who screw up companies all the time look, at our goverment case in point.Doing lease financing it’s not alll the complex that you are trying to get people to believe. I will put myself up against any one of your highly educated employees that work at your company and I can out sell any one of them .It doesn’t matter if you are technically sound, if you can’t sell the product what’s your value even with all your degrees.

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:15:00 +0000

you have a link for more info on those solar loans?

By: Ron

Ron — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 04:43:00 +0000

Now that $0 down, FHA Title 1, low interest solar loans are available, only a fool would lease a solar system. With these new solar loans you don’t need any equity in your home and you can qualify with a much lower credit score than a solar lease. The best part with a solar loan instead of a lease is that you get to keep the 30% federal tax credit and other financial incentives for yourself and you own the system instead of renting it and you won’t have a problem selling your home like you will with a solar lease. Solar leases and PPAs are history.

By: Sungevity Expands into Australia - CleanTechnica

Sungevity Expands into Australia - CleanTechnica — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:09:11 +0000

[…] your own system or going with a solar lease — there are benefits with both options. Most Californians now go solar through a lease. The biggest appeal is surely that you don’t have to drop a huge wad of cash on a solar […]

By: Solar Leasing & Solar PPAs — Some of the More Invisible Benefits - CleanTechnica

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:02:21 +0000

[…] time I wrote on the popularity of going solar through a service (i.e. solar leasing or going solar through a PPA), someone from Sunrun (a leading solar service […]

By: WOV

WOV — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:39:00 +0000

Google “Tracking the Sun” , annual report from Lawrence Berkeley National Labs has good graphics and metrics on state level solar subsidy phaseout 2004 – present.

By: Note2darlene

Note2darlene — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 14:36:00 +0000

Stan,
You don’t have to have an undergrad degree to do that dear. . I do that sort of thing everyday. My diploma is from the school of hard knocks.

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Completely agree.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:33:00 +0000

Seems like there are two separate issues here and we might benefit by separating them.

1) More people are installing solar.

That, IMO, is a very good thing. Let’s celebrate it.

2) Some people who are installing solar might not be making the best financial decision about how to get panels on their roof.

That’s too bad.

Some people don’t have an option, they don’t have the cash or credit to allow them to purchase. And (as long as the leasing company company isn’t ripping them off) solar that you don’t own is better than no solar at all.

Other people are possibly not making the best decision because they’re doing short term thinking.

Look at the people who could, right now, do just fine with a 100 mile EV yet are spending $15k to $20 for a 30MPG gasmobile which will cost them more to own and drive over a few years.

‘If by covetousnesse or negligence, one withdraw from them their ordinary foode, he shall be penny wise, and pound foolish.'”

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:24:00 +0000

Every study or statement from an energy insider that i’ve seen on the matter puts solar at grid parity within a few years or so. You are right, this is decades or even a century faster than dirty energy options.

Already hit grid parity in some countries: http://cleantechnica.com/2012/03/15/solar-learning-curve-price-drop-golden-goal-bloomberg-charts/
and you can play around with when it’s expected to in other countries here: http://go.bloomberg.com/multimedia/solar-silicon-price-drop-brings-renewable-power-closer/

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:21:00 +0000

Interesting.

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:20:00 +0000

Trumoor: in other words, solar will be cost-competitive (not even taking health and grid costs of dirty energy into account) with a ton less in lifetime subsidies than fossil fuels or nuclear.

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:18:00 +0000

I’m sure the leasing companies are making money. They need to be making something. That said, they are still getting people to go solar who wouldn’t otherwise, and getting them some good electricity savings. I think that’s valuable.

If companies selling solar can get anyone a solar system (no matter the income level) and offer a better long-term ROI, i think the lesson here is that solar leasing companies are outdoing their competitors in marketing and communications. So, their competitors really need to step it up in that respect.

(Of course, there’s also the point that a lot of people are horrible at long-term thinking and investment. Still, it’s the onus of the companies trying to make money on a green technology to make more people better at that.)

(Note: just to be clear, this post was not sponsored in any way.)

By: Sacramento Solar Panels

Sacramento Solar Panels — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:20:00 +0000

By saving money through leasing solar power, you can eventually save enough in order to afford for your own solar panels. However, in the meantime, those who lease solar power are still drastically reducing their carbon footprint, all while saving money. Which is what solar power advocates push.