The lease was an innovation that made solar power accessible to homeowners who may not be able to afford the upfront cost of a system. When SolarCity rolled out its solar lease product in 2008, the median installed price for a residential solar energy system was just over $8 per watt. In 2016, prices for a system with high-quality equipment are closer to $3.50 per watt.
As a result, consumers are increasingly choosing to maximize their solar savings by owning their systems, leaving leases and PPAs by the wayside.
