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Comment by kumarm | Hacker News Reader

From Wikipedia: In 2008, SolarCity introduced a new solar lease option for homeowners that significantly reduces or eliminates the upfront cost of installing solar power.

Several companies were offering Solar lease in 2007.

The article seem to imply that SolarCity invented Solar Leasing which is inaccurate.

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It looks like that was added in 2008[1] by an anonymous editor likely affiliated with SolarCity[2]. This is par for the course for a Wikipedia article about an operating business.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SolarCity&type=re...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/UVHaight

Five editors with Solar City only editing interests have edited that article, including one called "AvalonPRlosangeles". I put a notice on Wikipedia's conflict of interest noticeboard, which will start the process by which promotional edits are dealt with.

"Mickey D's first introduced a lobster roll — then called the "McLobster" — nationally in 1993" [1]

IMO, no one reads that and assumes that McDs invented the lobster roll. Why then would someone read the Wikipedia quote and assume Solar City was first or assume that's what the wikipedia quote was implying? That was when Solar City first introduced their new product: a lease.

1 - http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/mcdonald-start-se...

Be that as it may, leasing vs buying is always bad, IMO. We just installed our PV system in SoCal - I get the rebate, I own the system, when selling the home eventually the new owner knows what he/she is getting and isn't encumbered by the lease.... However you slice it, biting the bullet and buying your own PV system is way way better than leasing it.

Maybe there are cases where leasing makes sense...but those are few and far between...or maybe SolarCity counts on people being uninformed/clueless, which is why this 'lease' model works. IMHO, it's total ripoff.

IIRC the argument for the lease is not having money up front, having someone else bear the cost of installing PV, and getting a "free" discount on your PG&E bill in exchange for a monthly payment.

I've always preferred to buy vs. lease rationalizing that I'm taking the profit away from the middle-man for myself. And I'm interested in solar, but I've been hesitant to contact any solar installation outfit because I fear the installer's sales pitches, confusing contracts, phone calls, etc. Can I ask ballpark figure what it costs to outright purchase panels for a typical house? I realize that there are lots of variables such as house orientation, roof size, electric usage, etc.

The guy who did it for me is one of my best friends and he's been at it for a few years - he's been in sales overall for 20+ years, but lately he's been doing PV installations. He's fully licensed and bonded in CA. If you are in the SoCal area, I can send you to him for a friendly rate and I am 99% certain he will beat any other quote you get. Mine was 18k for a 5k system, using Solarworld's Sumodule Protect ... Everyone else quoted me higher.

Post a (disposable) email address where I can reach you with his info if you're in SoCal.

Thanks for the $ info, but I'm in the Denver area. We get lots of sun too!

They were doing that at least 5 years before that

Credit is hardly a new innovation.

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