Purchase
Stronger on simple cash math
$46,000
- Year-one net
- $2,800
- Total payments
- $24,000
- Simple payback
- 8.6 years
2026 lease vs buy calculator
Lease vs Buy Solar Calculator for 2026
Purchased solar, leases, and PPAs are not the same financial decision. Run a simple scenario before trusting a monthly-payment pitch or net-price claim.
Gross cost firstContract termsNot tax advice
2026 finance scenario
Lease vs buy planning calculator
Compare a purchase baseline against a lease and PPA-style monthly payment. This is a planning screen, not financial, tax, or legal advice.
Inputs
25-year planning comparison
Lease
Needs contract review
$7,387
- Year-one net
- $1,060
- Total payments
- $62,613
- Simple payback
- N/A
PPA
Needs contract review
$13,864
- Year-one net
- $1,240
- Total payments
- $56,136
- Simple payback
- N/A
Contract checks before signing
- Ask who owns the system, incentives, monitoring account, and service obligation.
- Check escalator, transfer, buyout, removal, roof-work, and home-sale terms.
- Compare gross purchase cost first; do not rely on unverified net-price claims.
Annual escalator: 3% · Contract term, years: 25
Purchase baseline
Start with gross installed cost and estimated annual bill savings before applying incentives, financing, or tax assumptions.
Lease or PPA payment
Monthly payment alone is not enough. Escalators and contract term can change the long-run comparison.
Transfer and exit risk
Before signing, ask what happens if you sell the home, replace the roof, remove panels, or need service after installer changes.
SolarCalcNow provides planning estimates only. Results are not installer quotes, engineering designs, tax advice, financing recommendations, or utility interconnection approval.
FAQ
Common solar calculator questions
Should I buy, lease, or use a PPA for solar in 2026?
There is no universal answer. Compare gross purchase cost, estimated bill savings, lease or PPA payments, escalators, transfer terms, and who owns the system and incentives.
Does this calculator include a federal homeowner tax credit?
No. The calculator starts with gross purchase cost and does not add an automatic federal homeowner credit. Verify incentive eligibility with official sources and a qualified professional.
Why does the lease or PPA result need contract review?
A lease or PPA can include escalators, transfer limits, buyout rules, removal costs, service obligations, and provider-owned incentives that are not visible in a simple monthly payment.
What to do next
After comparing ownership scenarios, normalize any installer proposal with the quote checker and financing checklist.