Solar energy too pricey? Maybe you could rent

[NickB79]

http://www.twincities.com/ci_15821166?nclick_check=1

"Ross Thompson, 28, wanted a solar-energy system for the 93-year-old Minneapolis house he bought two years ago, but there was a problem.

The price tag was $15,000.

"As a young first-time homeowner, it's challenging to finance these things if you're looking to purchase them outright," Thompson said.

So he's leasing it. He's paying $32 a month for 15 years, plus a $1,000 deposit, for 10 photovoltaic panels that were fitted last week to the sunny south-facing roof of his two-bedroom home in the city's Standish-Ericsson neighborhood.

Thompson's house is part of a nearly three-year pilot project financed partially by Xcel Energy to see whether leasing can promote the usage of solar energy.

Leasing — common in the car business — is almost unknown in the solar industry. Only a couple of solar-system installers across the country offer it on a regular basis for systems that use photovoltaic or PV cells to make electricity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

"It's a great way for homeowners who otherwise wouldn't be able due to the upfront costs (to) install solar PV systems," SEIA spokesman Jared Blanton said. "Leasing and other innovative financing options are a big reason that the residential solar market has grown so much in the last couple years." "


Despite the fact that I can be critical of solar from time to time here on DU, even I think this looks like a pretty good idea. After reading this, I was inspecting my roof to see if it could support solar (no luck, too many shade trees).