Solar Lease vs Buying: Which Is Better in Florida?

If you're considering solar in Florida, the first real decision isn't which panels to get — it's whether to lease or buy. Both work. They just fit different situations.

Buying: you own the asset

When you buy, the system is yours. You pay upfront (or finance it), and after the payback period the electricity is essentially free for the rest of the panels' 25-year life. Buying makes the most sense if you have capital available and plan to stay in the home long-term.

The trade-off: you're responsible for maintenance, and you carry the upfront cost or loan.

Leasing: you pay for the power, not the hardware

With a lease, a licensed partner owns the system. You pay a fixed monthly fee — usually lower than your current electric bill — and the partner handles all maintenance and repairs. There's no down payment and no credit impact.

Leasing makes the most sense if you want to start saving immediately without spending capital, or if you'd rather not deal with maintenance and equipment risk.

What about when you sell your home?

This is the most common worry — and it has clean answers. With a lease you have three options: transfer the lease to the buyer (most accept, since the payment is lower than the utility), buy out the system and roll it into the sale price, or have it removed. Homes with solar also tend to sell at a premium, according to research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The bottom line

Buy if you have capital and want long-term ownership. Lease if you want immediate savings, zero upfront cost, and none of the maintenance burden. Most Florida families today choose the lease for exactly those reasons. Run a free estimate to see your numbers for both.