Solar City and residential leasing [RE-wrenches]

[Marco Mangelsdorf]

I wanted to update you all on my findings regarding the ability of Solar
City, and other companies which offer similar residential PV lease
arrangements, to break into the market.  It would appear that the ability of
a company to offer homeowners a PV lease, where they pay little or no
up-front cost for a system and instead pay a monthly check to lease the
system for 10 or 20 years, and accrue the 30 percent Federal commercial tax
credit (ITC) is a legitimate transaction.  While I don't know if this option
is available outside of CA., it's inevitable that it soon will be in those
states that have buydown programs or the like.  My point is that if some
companies, e.g., Solar City, can offer an off-the-shelf program that allows
homeowners to obtain a PV system at little or no up-front cost, those of us
who rely on cash sales to support out businesses should be very nervous.
Americans love to buy/get things now and pay later.  And being able to enjoy
the benefits of a PV system, with the monthly utility bill savings being
more than the monthly lease payments, without paying anything up-front would
shake up our industry to its core.

marco

Marco Mangelsdorf, Ph.D., President
Electrical Contractor License C-26351
69 Railroad Avenue, A-7
Hilo, Hawai'i 96720
(808) 969-3281, 934-7462 facsimile
 

 

 


- - - -
Hosted by Home Power magazine

To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://lists.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/read

List rules & how to change your email address: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquette.php

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com
--^----------------------------------------------------------------
This email was sent to: michael.welch at re-wrenches.org

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8Qcs.bz9JC9.bWljaGFl
Or send an email to: RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit:
http://www.topica.com/?p=TEXFOOTER
--^----------------------------------------------------------------