You can buy the system, you can buy the power it makes, or you can rent the equipment. Here is what each one means and what it costs you over time.
You buy the system, with cash or $0-down financing through Atmos, and it is yours.
A provider owns the system on your roof. You buy the power it produces at a rate set the day you sign. No purchase, no loan.
A provider owns the system and charges you a fixed monthly fee for the equipment, whether it produces or not.
The provider pays for the panels, the inverter, the install and the paperwork, and they own that equipment on your roof. You agree to buy the electricity it makes, at a price per kilowatt hour set the day you sign. If the system makes nothing in a given month, you owe nothing for that month. When the agreement ends you can renew it, buy the system, or have it taken off.
The bill follows production. No production, no charge.
Install, monitoring, repairs and the warranty all stay with the provider.
The utility's rate is not fixed. It keeps filing for increases.
| Own (buy / finance) | PPA | Lease | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $0 down financing, or cash | $0 | $0 |
| What you pay for | The system | Only the power produced | The equipment, produced or not |
| Who owns the system | You | The provider | The provider |
| SRECs and net-metering credits | You keep them | Provider keeps them | Provider keeps them |
| State tax credits | Yours to claim | Provider's | Provider's |
| Tax appetite needed | Yes, to use the credits | No | No |
| Lifetime savings | Highest | Middle | Lowest |
| A low production month | You still owe the loan | You owe less | You owe the same |
| Maintenance | Covered by warranty | Provider handles it | Provider handles it |
| Payment over time | Fixed, then $0 once paid off | Tracks what the system produces | Rises with the escalator, so ask |
| Effect on home value | Increases | Buyer takes over the agreement | May complicate a sale |
| Best for | Cash buyers and anyone with tax appetite | Most homeowners | Rarely the best of the three |
It gets solar onto the roof with nothing down, no loan and no tax paperwork, and you only pay for the power the system actually makes.
If you have cash or real tax appetite, owning still returns the most over 25 years, and we will say so. A lease is the one we steer people away from, because you pay the same fee whether the panels produce or not. Either way we will model all three for your house and show you the real numbers.
Get all three modeled, free
Send us your details and we'll walk you through owning, a PPA and a lease side by side for your exact situation.
