Rooftop Solar Panels By Subscription: Up To 50% Savings On Electricity Bills

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Regardless of the sharp U-turn in federal energy policy, investors are following the money, and the smart money is still on rooftop solar panels. The latest example comes from the rooftop solar field, where the startup Terra Energy has just attracted a total of $105 million in new financing to expand its subscription-based business into key solar-friendly markets in the US. Wait…subscription?

Solar Panels By Subscription

The subscription model can be a powerful weapon in the hands of the rooftop solar industry. Instead of buying their own solar panels and dealing with a complex procurement process, home owners simply agree to let a solar provider park its solar panels on their roof. The provider takes care of the rest, including permits and other elements of the process.

The arrangement is essentially a lease. In the auto market, a lease is a common alternative to taking out a loan or saving up to buy a car outright, but the real estate market may present some complications. The online solar marketplace EnergySage advises that solar leases can be a good fit for many, but not all, homeowners.

Homeowners should consider their obligations if they need to sell the property before their solar lease concludes, for example. They should also be aware of potential pitfalls, such as local building codes and HOA (Home Owner Associations) restrictions, which can delay the permitting process or prevent installation altogether.

Home energy storage systems are another consideration. The battery market is growing alongside utility programs that reward home owners for storing energy during off-peak periods, and sharing it with the grid when needed. Terra Energy indicates that it is currently exploring the potential for integrating batteries into its solar business. As of this writing, though, the company advises that its subscribers can add their own batteries, subject to a safety review and approval.

Solar Panels With 0% Down

All else being equal, if Terra Energy can deliver the goods it has an opportunity to break open a persistent bottleneck in the rooftop solar market.

The up-front cost of rooftop solar panels has been a high hurdle for many households to leap. They pay for themselves eventually, but that can take years. “Solar panels cost about $30,500 on average — but often pay for themselves several times over through 25-30 years of electricity savings,” EnergySage emphasizes.

With that in mind, Terra has this to say about itself:

“With a simple short-term subscription and no upfront costs, Terra delivers up to 50% electricity bill savings, with insurance and maintenance included.”

“Our vertically integrated and customer-first approach delivers energy that saves customers significant money on day one, with no debt, no equipment burden, and no long-term lock-in,” adds Terra CEO and founder Jaime Martinez, referring to the company’s initial 3-year term of agreement.

Follow The Money: $105 Million & Counting

So far, investors are liking what they’re seeing. Earlier this week, Terra announced a total of $105 million in new financing, consisting of $35 million in “Green Loan” financing from the firm Breakwall Capital, alongside equity investment from ARC PE and Azora Capital, and credit facilities from Banesco and First Horizon Bank. The credit facilities enable Terra to move forward with a series of transactions, without having to go through a cumbersome approval process for each one.

Breakwall is a new face on the pages of CleanTechnica, but it has a solid track record in the energy financing field. The New York-based firm launched in 2014 and had a total of $60 billion in commitments under its belt as of last year, covering more than 60 projects.

Breakwall Managing Director Walt Hughes gave Terra an enthusiastic thumbs-up in a press statement on January 29. “Their subscription model eliminates friction, aligns incentives, and directly addresses the affordability and reliability issues that have long held back the industry,” Hughes stated.

Where Are All The Solar Panels?

As for how Terra and other solar installers plan to procure enough solar panels quickly enough to satisfy the anticipated surge in business, that’s a good question, considering that 52 major clean energy projects in the US were downsized, delayed, or canceled outright as of November 2025, according to the business organization E2. Though almost all of those projects involved EVs, batteries, and energy storage, solar manufacturing took a hit as well, including the closure of a Meyer Burger solar panel assembly plant in Arizona and downsizing at two Qcells facilities in Georgia.

On the bright side, the leading US thin film solar firm First Solar has been forging ahead with its expansion plans. Another manufacturer to watch is the leading Vietnamese firm Boviet Solar. Boviet set up shop in the North Carolina in 2025, following through on a plan that was set in motion before US President Donald Trump took office for the second time. Federal energy policy or not, the company is currently prepping for the upcoming RE North East trade show in February (Booth #443 at the Boston Convention Center, if you’re in the area).

“At the event, Boviet Solar will highlight progress across its U.S. manufacturing operations, including ongoing PV module production activities and the advancement of its integrated U.S. manufacturing roadmap. These initiatives reflect the Company’s commitment to supporting domestic solar deployment with reliable, bankable products backed by global manufacturing expertise, rigorous quality systems, and transparent operations,” Boviet explains.

More Rooftop Solar Panels For California, Florida, & Texas

Circling back around to Terra Energy, the company plans to deploy its new financing to expand its activity in California, Florida, and Texas, the three hottest solar markets in the US, demonstrating yet again that partisan politics are no match for investor dollars.

In Texas, for example, activity also continued apace in the utility-scale solar field all throughout 2025 continuing into this year. In one particularly interesting development, on January 28th, ground officially broke on the new $524 million, 350-megawatt Lucy Solar Project in Concho County. The project is co-developed by Hyundai and other Korean investors, in partnership with the Texas firm High Road Energy Marketing.

“The investment will support local schools, infrastructure and essential services in Concho County through long-term property tax revenue. The project also includes the RAIN-UP program, which directs a portion of the project’s revenues to support socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers and local communities,” the partners note.

“Lucy Solar is among the largest Korean-led utility-scale solar investments in the U.S., reflecting an accelerating trend of South Korean investment in renewables and manufacturing across states such as Texas,” they add.

That thing about accelerating trend is also of interest, considering Hyundai’s encounter with President Trump’s immigration agents at its forthcoming battery factory in Georgia last September.

According to news reports, none of the Korean workers who were apprehended were seriously hurt, sent to concentration camps, or murdered. The picture is somewhat different elsewhere in the United States. If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the comment thread. Better yet, find your representatives in Congress and let them know what you think.

Photo: The US startup Terra Energy is expanding its subscription-based rooftop solar panel business in California, Florida, and Texas, the three hottest solar markets in the US (courtesy of Terra Energy via BusinessWire).