º£½Ç´óÉñ

Solar energy: Will leasing make it more affordable for homeowners?

Many homeowners like the idea of harnessing the power of the sun to heat their homes – until they check the price tag. Installing solar panels isn't inexpensive – typically $25,000 and up-up-up for a system for the whole house; less for just – even if there's a 30 percent later.

But there are other options:

One is "," which requires no money down. Still, you owe money, which cuts into your potential savings from using solar energy.

Perhaps even more useful, though: Some companies are leasing the panels to homeowners, who find it less expensive in the short run to "rent" them, rather than buy. Sorta like leasing a car. You pay a deposit, sign a lease, and then pay a monthly fee.

Is this like the companies that popped up in the 1970s to install solar water heaters, and didn't last long? No way of knowing at this point, But some are getting involved.

A big drawback, though, is that at this point, leasing is available only in limited .

Also, what happens when you sell your home?

Leasing solar panels isn't really "news" -- it's been available in a limited way for a couple of years -- but what may be the impetus that pushes the idea forward is state or country involvement. In Massachusetts, for instance, that sets utility targets for renewable energy also specifies leasing solar panels, with homeowners allowed to sell their excess back to the company.

Homeowners pay $1,000 in the beginning and sign an 18-year lease that specifies the cost of the solar power, , which adds that "the rate will be comparable to, or less than what utilities charge, according to the companies involved."

The upsides for homeowners: There's no installation charge or maintenance. Costs are more reasonable. (In the print edition – but not online – the Globe gave an example of 24 panels and suggested that a homeowner can recoup his investment in three years versus 11 for buying panels. But a person said he expects to regain his investment in four years.)

Among the downsides: No one knows that utility rates will be during the next 18 years or if the firms involved will stay in business that long. Also, the companies receive the tax benefits as owners of the panels. (Massachusetts rebates an average 40 percent on top of the federal 30 percent credit.)

And in Massachusetts, as well as other states that get plenty of the wintery white stuff, there's the issue of from the panels.

With lots of "ifs," leasing solar panels isn't a sure thing. It's certainly not for everyone. But it may have promise for some who are eager to go solar. If you were considering installing solar panels, would you think about taking this route?