Sunprint
The short answer
A solar lease can be a reasonable deal in Florida, but only when four things line up: you want no upfront cost and no repair responsibility, you plan to stay in the home for most of the term, your utility credits solar at or near the retail rate, and the escalator is low or zero. Miss one of those, and the numbers get thin fast.
The most important number in a lease is the annual escalator, more than the first payment, because it compounds for 20 to 25 years. A 2.9 percent escalator turns a $150 payment into about $298 by year 25, and roughly $64,800 paid over the full term.
How a Florida solar lease works
With a lease, a solar company installs a system it owns on your roof, and you pay a set monthly amount to use it, usually for 20 to 25 years. The company typically handles monitoring, maintenance and repairs. Some leases also include a production guarantee; Sunrun's securities filings show contracts guaranteeing 95 to 100 percent of estimated output.
Florida draws a firm line here. A lease, where you pay for the equipment, is allowed. A power purchase agreement, where a company sells you the electricity itself by the kWh, is not allowed for rooftop solar, because only utilities can sell electricity to Florida homes. If a salesperson calls something a PPA, read the contract closely; our guide to solar PPAs in Florida explains the difference.
Florida also requires every solar lease to come with a separate, separately signed disclosure statement under Florida Statute 520.23. For a lease, it has to state plainly that you will not own the system, the payment amount and how often it's due, and the total you'll pay over the full term. That total, not the first monthly payment, is the number to compare.
The escalator, in real dollars
An escalator raises your payment by a fixed percentage every year. Sunrun's own asset-backed securities filings list escalators of 0, 2.9 and 3.9 percent across the leases in one pool, and a signed Sunrun lease filed with the SEC in 2017 used 1.9 percent. On a lease that starts at $150 a month, those rates work out like this:
Total paid over 25 years on a $150/month lease
By year 25 the monthly payment is $150 at 0%, about $236 at 1.9%, about $298 at 2.9% and about $376 at 3.9%.
The logic companies give is that utility rates rise too, so your savings should hold. That only works if your utility's rates actually keep pace for 25 years. Florida rates have swung with natural gas prices, rising sharply in 2021 to 2023, and no one can promise 2.9 percent a year for a quarter century. A lower or zero escalator removes that bet entirely, usually in exchange for a higher starting payment.
Your utility decides a lot
A lease payment is the same no matter what your utility pays for the solar power you export. At FPL, Duke, TECO and FPU, exports are credited at the full retail rate each month, so the system's full output offsets your bill. At utilities that credit exports at a few cents per kWh, only the power you use at home while the sun is up saves you the full rate, and a fixed, rising lease payment can eat most of the savings.
Before you compare lease offers, look up your utility's export credit in our net metering guide. It may matter more than which company you choose.
Lease vs. loan vs. cash
| Lease | Solar loan | Cash | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Usually $0 | Often $0 down | Full price |
| Who owns the system | The leasing company | You | You |
| Repairs and maintenance | Usually the company | You, after warranties | You, after warranties |
| Payment over time | Often rises every year | Fixed until paid off | None |
| After the term ends | Renew, buy or remove | You own it outright | You own it outright |
| Resale value | Usually no premium; buyer must qualify | Adds value once paid off | Adds value |
The 30 percent federal credit for homeowners ended on December 31, 2025, so buying no longer comes with that big rebate. That narrows the gap between leasing and owning, but it doesn't erase it: owners still avoid escalators and keep the resale value. Our financing guide walks through each option in more detail.
Buyouts and the end of the lease
Most leases let you buy the system before the term ends, but the price is whatever your contract says, and contracts set it in different ways:
- A fixed schedule that lists a buyout price for each year of the lease.
- Fair market value of the system at the time you ask, as defined in the contract.
- Whichever is higher of the two, which catches many homeowners off guard.
Industry guidance puts early buyouts often somewhere around $15,000 to $40,000, falling as the lease ages, but treat that as a rough range, not a quote. Ask for the buyout method in writing before you sign, and ask for a written buyout quote any time you're considering it.
At the end of the term, the common options are to renew, buy the system, or have the company remove it. Check whether removal is free and whether the company will repair any roof damage from removing the mounts.
When the company or the house changes
If the leasing company fails, the lease usually doesn't disappear. When SunPower and Sunnova went through bankruptcy, a successor firm, SunStrong Management, took over servicing their existing customers, and payments continued. What can suffer is service while the handoff happens. Our guide on what to do when a solar company goes out of business covers the next steps.
If you sell the house, the lease goes with it. The buyer usually has to be approved by the solar company, or you buy out the lease before closing, and the leasing company's UCC-1 filing will show up in the title search. Our guide to selling or buying a house with solar walks through the process step by step.
What to ask before signing a lease
- What's the escalator, and what's the total over the full term? Florida's required disclosure statement must show the lease total. Compare that figure across offers.
- How is the buyout priced? Fixed schedule, fair market value, or whichever is higher.
- What's covered, and is there a production guarantee? Get the guaranteed percentage and what you receive if the system falls short.
- What happens at the end of the term? Renewal terms, purchase price, and whether removal and roof repair are included.
- What does a buyer need to take over the lease? Credit requirements and any transfer fee.
- What's my utility's export credit? A lease makes the most sense where exports are credited at or near retail.
Your estimate in three steps
- Enter your billYour ZIP code, your utility and last month's bill.
- See your estimateA yearly savings range based on your utility's rates and Florida sun.
- Choose what's nextAsk for a quote call if you want real pricing, or just keep the number.
See what solar could save you
It takes about a minute. You don't need a site visit, a commitment or a sales call to see your number.
Common questions
Is a solar lease a good idea in Florida?
It can be, for the right home. A lease works best if you want no upfront cost and no repair responsibility, you plan to stay in the home for most of the term, your utility credits solar at or near the retail rate, and the escalator is low. It works worst at utilities that pay little for exported power, with a high annual escalator, or if you expect to sell the home in the next few years.
Are solar leases legal in Florida?
Yes. Florida allows residential solar leases, where you pay a set amount to use equipment the company owns. What Florida doesn't allow for rooftop solar is a power purchase agreement, where a company sells you the electricity itself by the kWh, because only utilities can sell electricity to Florida homes.
What is a solar lease escalator?
It's a clause that raises your lease payment by a fixed percentage every year for the whole term. Sunrun's own securities filings show escalators of 0, 2.9 and 3.9 percent in its lease contracts, and 2.9 percent is a common figure across the industry. At 2.9 percent, a $150 monthly payment grows to about $298 by year 25.
How much does it cost to buy out a solar lease?
It depends entirely on your contract. Some leases list a fixed buyout price for each year, some use the system's fair market value at the time, and some charge whichever of the two is higher. Industry guidance puts early buyouts often in the $15,000 to $40,000 range, falling over time, but only your contract and a written quote from the company tell you your real number.
What happens at the end of a solar lease?
Options commonly include renewing the lease, buying the system, or having the company remove it. Check your contract for which options you have and what each one costs, including whether removal is free, before you sign rather than at the end of the term.
What happens to my solar lease if the company goes bankrupt?
The lease usually doesn't disappear, and your payments usually continue. When SunPower and Sunnova went through bankruptcy, a successor firm, SunStrong Management, took over servicing their existing customers. Keep paying, keep records, and make sure you know who is responsible for repairs.
Can I sell my house if I have a solar lease?
Yes. The buyer can take over the lease once the solar company approves them, usually after a credit check, or you can buy out the lease before closing. Contact the solar company's transfer team as soon as you list the home.
Is a lease better than buying now that the federal tax credit ended?
The end of the 30 percent homeowner credit on December 31, 2025 removed a big advantage that buying used to have, which narrows the gap. Buying still keeps the resale value and avoids an escalator. Compare the total you'd pay over the same number of years for a lease, a loan and cash before deciding.
Related guides
- How people pay for solar in Florida
- Selling or buying a house with solar in Florida
- Florida net metering explained
- How to check a solar company, and door-to-door red flags
- Is solar worth it in Florida in 2026?
This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Escalator examples are our own calculation on a $150 starting payment. Sources: Sunrun SEC filing: lease pool terms · Sunrun lease agreement filed with the SEC, 2017 · Florida Statute 520.23 · pv magazine: SunStrong takes over Sunnova systems
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