Despite the impressive benefits of powering a home with clean energy, there remains confusion around solar leases and whether they are worth the commitment. One Reddit user in Southern New Jersey posted to r/solar asking for advice about whether to buy a house with a Sunnova lease. 

The scoop

The prospective homebuyer explained in the post that the house of interest included a 25-year solar lease that began two years ago. 

They said the lease had a 0% escalation clause and cost less than current electricity rates. However, the panels don't produce enough energy to meet the OP's family's needs, and they didn't want to assume the previous owner's liability. 

Moving into a home with solar panels already installed and a lease in place may be an easy, affordable solution for many people. Long-term benefits include saving money on energy costs, boosting resilience during intense storms, and reducing pollution. 

"We are trying to figure out what option we send back to the seller," the OP wrote. "... My gut tells me to ask for the purchase price but would love to hear others' opinions."

If you're interested in going solar, TCD partners, like EnergySage, help you save up to $10,000 on solar installations. 

Smart upgrades that slash monthly bills

This post highlights key considerations before buying a home with a solar lease. The OP was evaluating three options to handle the situation: prepaying, purchasing the panels outright, or transferring the panels to another home. 

Here are some ways you can go solar and save some cash while you're at it.

• EnergySage can help you save up to $10,000 on an installation by curating competitive bids from local installers
• Not ready to spend up front? Palmetto's $0 down LightReach solar leasing program can lower your utility rate by up to 20%
• TCD's Solar Explorer makes it easy to access exclusive offers from preferred partners

What's the most you'd pay per month to put solar panels on your roof if there was no down payment? $200 or more 💰 $100 💸 $30 💵 I'd only do it if someone else paid for it 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

To save more on monthly bills, you can pair your solar panels with energy-efficient appliances, such as a heat pump HVAC system. Mitsubishi helps people upgrade how they heat and cool their homes with high-efficiency systems. 

Meanwhile, the free Palmetto Home app connects you to up to $5,000 in rewards to spend on home-efficiency upgrades. 

What everyone's saying

Several users responded to the OP's post, offering insights and perspectives that may be relevant to other situations as well. 

"You did the analysis correctly that you would be (A) paying less per kWh now and (B) with 0% escalation will be paying even less and saving more in the many years to come," one Redditor commented. "It doesn't matter that the electricity production doesn't cover all your electricity use; it will still help your monthly electricity bill."

Another person wrote: "Small system, no escalator, which is a positive, reasonable rate, on a good (replaced) roof. All that sounds good."

"Not a bad deal," someone else added.

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