Is a solar lease worth it for your home?
Answer four quick questions using your electric bill and your solar offer. We do all the math and show what you would pay each way, year by year.
Where is the home?
Your address lets us estimate what your roof can produce. Your electric company tells us what you are really paying today.
Your electric bill
What do you pay for electricity in an average month?
Your solar offer
Here is what we assume for the solar side.
How much electricity will the panels make?
Every roof is different: direction, tilt and shade all matter. Use our typical number, or get a free estimate for your roof.
How long do you plan to stay?
We start at 11 years, the typical time a homeowner lives in a home before selling (a record high), per the National Association of REALTORS® 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Slide to match your plans. Most solar leases run 20 to 25 years.
Your answers (tap to change)
Total paid over time
Running total of everything you pay each way. The green gap is money that stays in your pocket.
Monthly cost by year
"With solar" includes your lease payment plus what you still owe the utility (the fixed customer charge and any power the panels don't cover).
Year-by-year detail
Assumptions we used (adjust if you like)
Why utility rates keep climbing
Solar lease FAQ
What is a solar lease?
A solar company installs and owns panels on your roof. You pay for the power they make (a set price per kWh) or a set monthly payment, usually for 20 to 25 years. You don't pay to buy the system.
What is an escalator?
A built-in yearly price increase in your solar agreement. Most agreements use about 3.5% per year, so a $0.26 rate becomes about $0.27 the next year. Utility rates have historically risen faster than that in Massachusetts, which is where the savings come from. Always check your own agreement.
Will I still get an electric bill?
Yes. You still pay the utility's fixed monthly customer charge, plus any electricity the panels don't cover (for example, at night or in winter). Extra power made on sunny days is usually credited to your bill through net metering. Our math includes the customer charge and any power the panels don't cover.
Why is my rate higher than the "state average" I see online?
Statewide averages from the U.S. Energy Information Administration include towns with municipal light plants, which often pay much less. They also lag by a few months. That is why we use your electric company's current published rates and your own bill.
What is the battery program?
If you have a home battery, you can enroll in your utility's distributed power plant program. It currently pays about $400 back after each year's dispatch season, whether or not the utility actually draws on your battery. The battery can also keep key circuits running during an outage. Program rules and payments can change at any time.
What happens if I sell my home?
Usually the lease transfers to the buyer, who has to qualify with the solar company, or you buy out or prepay the remaining agreement. This adds steps to a sale, so plan for it early. We help sellers and buyers with homes that have leased solar every day.
Who maintains the panels?
With most leases, the solar company owns, monitors and repairs the system. If your roof needs replacing during the lease, the panels may need to come off and go back on, so ask how your agreement handles that.
How accurate is this calculator?
It is a planning estimate. Your real savings depend on your actual usage, your roof, your agreement and future utility rates. A no-cost design from our solar partner gives you real numbers for your home.
Why compare to the S&P 500?
To show what your monthly savings could grow into over time. We use the S&P 500's long-run average return of about 10.6% a year with dividends reinvested (1957 to 2025). It is an illustration, not investment advice, and actual returns vary widely year to year.