[Strawbale] Rent or Lease PV systems?

[Chris Green]

Mark Frazier wrote:
> I'm currently looking at 13K (after govt incentives) to put in 3KW of 
> panels
> (includes inverters, etc) in a grid intertie system.
It's the grid intertie which adds a bit, I'd think. And you will own the 
system, whereas Citizenre still owns the hardware when all is said and 
done.
>
> Of course, the skeptical side of me says that it must be better to 
> buy, or else
> they wouldn't be making money doing this. 
I'm skeptical as well. The company estimates the system will produce a 
certain amount of power and it will cost perhaps $53/ month. They could 
be deliberately underestimating the average output in order to lull the 
potential consumer. What happens when you're actually cranking out twice 
as much? You pay twice as much.
The contract is a bit too open ended in this regard. A fixed monthly 
payment, while seeming to be higher, would be preferable and in the end 
you'd own the hardware. The company might turn around and charge a near 
new price if you choose to buy the system as "parts" after the rental 
period.

I didn't see any language giving the option to transfer the rental 
contract when you sell the house, but they do state they'll simply send 
out workers to remove the system, fix the roof, and install it in your 
new digs.
One benefit might be the on-going service you might get in the 
process...but that requires some hard number crunching by someone.

I'm thinking this may backfire if someone signs up for a contract for 
equipment which cost perhaps $8.50 per watt or whatever it is, and two 
years from now when the nanotechnology stuff begins to hit the market, 
the price drops to around $1.65 to $2 a watt. You'd be stuck with paying 
the higher costs for quite a while, maybe. Depending on the contract.

In the end  you're paying 8 3/4 cents per kwh for the total power 
produced, so maybe it does work out for some folks. Unless you're only 
using half the power it cranks out...
> I see it as more of an up front cash
> solution problem. Of course, isn't that what drives most rental and 
> mortgage
> industries?
Yup. Like the cell phone contract I had until recently...

Cheers,

Chris Green.