We believe that clean solar power should be affordable for everyone. That's why SolarCity offers several payment options to fit your financial goals. For instance, you can purchase a system, or go solar for $0 down and save money from day one by financing direct from SolarCity.

Other solar installers make you work with a third party to finance solar—which adds cost and complexity. No middlemen required with SolarCity! We take care of you directly every step of the way for the ultimate in accountability.

		SolarLease options			Cash Purchase
Financial Considerations	Upfront Cost	$0 Down	Some Money Down	Prepay	Full Price
	Monthly Payments	Moderate	Low	None	—
	Gov't Rebates & Credits
	Lower Electricity Costs
Premium Services	SolarGuard Monitoring	20 Years	20 Years	20 Years	5 Years
	Repair Service	20 Years	20 Years	20 Years	10 Years
	Insurance
	Performance Guarantee
Home Considerations	System Ownership	Lease	Lease	Lease	Own
	Option to Upgrade Later
	Increase Home Value
Borrowing Requirements	Minimum Credit Score	700	700	—	—

Yes | No | — n/a

Cash Purchase Benefits

The economics of a solar cash purchase have never been better. As of January 2009, the federal tax credit alone covers 30% of the solar system cost, and combined with additional state and utility rebates, your net cost of a solar system can be 50% or more off the retail price!

You own the solar system and its expected useful life is 30+ years. On average, top tier electricity prices have increased about 5% per year for the last 30 years. When you choose solar, you lock in low electricity prices and are no longer dependent on foreign oil or a volatile energy market. As utility rates continue to rise in the future, your investment becomes increasingly valuable.

SolarLease Benefits

SolarCity's award-winning and first-of-its-kind SolarLease makes it possible for you to switch to clean, solar power for $0 down and a low monthly payment. Your fixed monthly lease payments are typically lower than what you currently pay for electricity, so you can save money every month!

A $0 down SolarLease has a better Return on Investment (ROI) than a cash purchase because you do not have a big upfront payment, you save money every month on electricity bills, and you can be cash flow positive from day one.

We offer several lease options to fit your financial goals. In addition to our popular $0 down option, you can put some money down and save even more every month. You can also fully prepay the lease so you do not have to worry about any monthly payments.

In addition, all SolarLease options include our premium service package: proactive monitoring, repair service, all-inclusive system insurance and a performance guarantee for the life of the lease. We’re so confident with our system design and installation that we guarantee our system will perform as promised or we will pay you the difference!