Subscription solar, question by question

What is subscription solar?

Subscription solar is rooftop solar you subscribe to instead of buy. A provider installs panels on your roof for $0 down, owns them, insures them, and maintains them, and you pay a monthly subscription for the power they produce, usually less than the utility charges for the same electricity. You don't finance anything, and there's no lien on your home.

Fair warning: most articles ranking for this term describe a different product entirely. See the next question. The full mechanics are on how it works.

Is subscription solar the same as community solar?

No. Community solar is a subscription to a share of a remote solar farm. No panels on your roof, and typically modest bill credits. Subscription solar puts panels on your own roof, with a 36-month commitment inside a 10-year agreement. Most search results for "subscription solar" are actually describing community solar, which is why prices you see online look nothing like a real rooftop quote.

We wrote the full comparison atcommunity solar vs. subscription solar.

Is subscription solar just a rebranded solar lease?

No. The contract mechanics differ where it counts. A lease runs 20–25 years and commonly escalates 2.9–3.9% per year; a subscription is a 36-month commitment inside a 10-year agreement with a 1.9% fixed escalator. A lease usually files a UCC notice on the home and requires a buyer to qualify for and assume it at sale; a subscription does neither.

Who owns the panels in subscription solar?

The provider owns the panels. Always. You never own them, never finance them, and never owe anything on them. That's why there's no lien on your home, why maintenance, repairs, insurance, and upgrades are the provider's job under the subscription, and why the panels come off free if you sell to a buyer who doesn't want them.

How long is a subscription solar contract, really?

The paper says ten years; the commitment is 36 months. The agreement is written for 10 years, which locks the rate structure, but you can cancel any time after month 36 with no cancellation fee. Anyone who tells you "it's just a three-year contract" is skipping a page. Read the cancellation clause yourself, and make the salesperson show it to you in writing.

Can you cancel a solar subscription?

Yes. Any time after month 36, with no cancellation fee, even though the agreement is written for 10 years. Inside the first 36 months the provider's options are discretionary and not guaranteed, so read that clause before you sign. At cancellation the provider removes the system at no cost and repairs anything the installation caused.

How much does subscription solar cost per month?

Your subscription bill is sized to your home's actual 12-month usage, and typical savings run around 40% versus what you pay the utility today. That is an estimate with visible assumptions, not a guarantee; your quote shows your number. If you've seen "$5 to $9 a month" quoted online, that's community solar farm pricing, not rooftop subscription solar, which is a different product at a different scale.

The fastest way to a real number is the quote flow. It takes about a minute.

Will you still have an electric bill?

Yes, a small one. You stay connected to the grid, so the utility's monthly minimum or grid-connection charge remains, and the subscription bill replaces most of the rest. Between the two, the total is usually lower than what you pay today. Your quote shows both numbers before you sign anything, so there's no surprise on the first bill.

What's the catch with $0 down solar?

$0 down is real, but the power isn't free. You pay monthly for what the panels produce, the rate increases 1.9% per year, fixed, and a small utility grid charge remains. There's a credit screen around 600, and it's not for everyone: if you're confident you're staying 20-plus years and want to own the asset, buying may beat subscribing on lifetime cost.

Does subscription solar put a lien on your house?

No. A subscription puts no lien and no UCC filing on your home, because you never borrowed money and never owned the equipment. Solar loans do file liens, and leases often file UCC notices that surprise sellers at closing. If you're checking an existing system, start with your county land records, not the state UCC registry, which usually won't show a fixture filing.

The full breakdown, structure by structure, is atdo solar panels put a lien on your house.

What happens when you sell your house?

Nothing that blocks the sale. There's no lien to pay off and nothing a buyer must qualify for or assume. Your worst case is covering the remainder of the 36-month commitment. The agreement's paper term is 10 years, but the commitment is what binds. If the buyer doesn't want the panels, they come off free and the roof gets repaired.

The closing-table detail lives atselling a house with solar.

Does the buyer have to qualify for or assume your contract?

No. Unlike a 20–25-year lease ( where the buyer must pass the provider's credit check and formally assume the agreement, the most common way solar kills a closing), a subscription obligates the buyer to nothing. The new owner may choose to subscribe, but nobody is required to, and your sale doesn't wait on anyone's approval.

What does the provider cover?

Everything on the equipment side: maintenance and repairs, routine and emergency; insurance against damage, theft, and malfunction; component upgrades when technology becomes obsolete; and free resizing, with panels added or removed if your usage changes. If the system goes down or underproduces through no fault of yours, you aren't charged for the downtime. Your only job is paying for the power.

Is there still a federal solar tax credit?

Ask your CPA before you count on one. The 30% residential credit (§25D) that most solar articles still cite is no longer available for new installations, and older content will be stale on this for a while. With a subscription the question mostly disappears anyway: you never own the equipment, so equipment credits were never yours to claim. The provider owns the system.

Can you get a battery with subscription solar?

Yes. Battery-backed subscriptions are offered in Florida, Texas, and Illinois. The battery works like the panels: the provider owns and maintains it, and sizing and availability are confirmed on your quote for your specific home rather than published as a one-size number. If backup power is the goal, say so when you request the estimate.

More on outage coverage and how backup is scoped at batteries.

Where is subscription solar available?

Florida, Texas, andIllinois. Eligibility runs on the home itself, not the state you live in: you own and live in the house (renters and condo units don't qualify for this product), the roof is in decent shape without heavy shade, and your credit score is around 600 or better.

Own rental property instead? That's a separate program:portfolio owners.

Who shouldn't get subscription solar?

Anyone confident they're staying 20-plus years who wants to own the asset. Cash or a loan may beat a subscription on lifetime cost. Anyone whose roof needs replacing first: do the roof first. Homes with heavy shade, where production won't pencil. Renters and condo owners. Anyone below the credit screen, and anyone who already has solar. If that's you, the quote flow will say so.

Get your number

One minute, your actual bill, and a straight answer, including "this isn't your best move" when it isn't. See your roof's numbers.