Finally, a solar lease we can get behind, because we created it with favorable terms!
Our lowest-cost path to solar with flexible options for future ownership
The residential federal tax credit has expired, but Positive Energy Solar is keeping affordable clean energy alive in New Mexico. Introducing the Positive Path to Solar Program—an innovative prepaid solar lease that gives you an immediate 30% discount and option for solar ownership in as little as 7 years.
The Solution: How we kept the 30% solar discount
The residential solar tax credit may have ended, but the federal incentive remains available for commercial solar projects under Section 48E, including third-party ownership (TPO).
By structuring your system under a third-party ownership model, Positive Energy—as the system owner—qualifies for the commercial credit and accelerated asset depreciation. We pass the value of these federal benefits to you by significantly reducing your prepaid lease rent for the first six years. This approach is fully compliant with IRS guidelines, is widely used in the solar industry, and designed to provide homeowners with predictable, low-cost clean energy savings.
How Our Positive Path Prepaid Solar Lease Works
Your upfront payment covers 100% of your lease for the first 6 years. At Year 7, you are in control: you can purchase the system at Fair Market Value to eliminate lease payments forever, or smoothly transition to a low, fixed monthly payment for the remainder of the 15-year lease. Either way, your system continues to have a manufacturer warranty and energy savings.
- Year 0: The Prepayment. You make an upfront payment covering your first six years, locking in an approximate 30% effective discount.
- Years 1-6: The Prepaid Term. Positive Energy Solar installs, monitors & maintains the system—providing a guaranteed production output.
- Year 7: Your First Ownership Window. You can take full ownership at a minimal fair market value payment.
- Years 7-15: The Optional Extension. Not ready to buy? You can continue the lease with low, fixed monthly payments and a guaranteed 0% annual escalator.
- Years 15-25+: Total Energy Independence. Once you purchase the system (either at Year 7 or at the end of your 15-year lease), the lease ends, but your savings continue. The system's 25-year manufacturer warranty protects your panels for the long haul, allowing you to enjoy free electricity for the rest of the system's lifetime!
Key Benefits
- 30% Discount Compared to Cash Price: Enjoy a 30% discount on the effective cost versus purchasing outright.
- Easy Transferability When Selling Your Home: There’s no credit check or qualification process clouding the sale. Simply contact Positive Energy Solar to inform us of the new owners and we will transfer the remaining agreement to them.
- No Rate Escalators for Long-Term Stability: If you choose to continue leasing after Year 6, your monthly payment is locked in with a 0% annual increase. While utility rates climb every year, your solar payment will never go up.
- Local Accountability: Your system is designed, installed, and monitored by our employee-owned New Mexico team—not handed off to a nameless, out-of-state bank.
- Performance, monitoring & maintenance costs are covered for 6 years.
- Receive the quality workmanship & reliability Positive Energy Solar is known for.
Not Your Average Solar Lease
Traditional solar leases are typically structured as long-term financing agreements in which a lender owns the system for 25 years, often working in partnership with a separate installation company. Because installation, ownership, and servicing may involve different entities, homeowners can sometimes experience performance issues or service delays, creating frustration and a lack of clear accountability.
With Positive Energy Solar’s Prepaid Solar Lease Program, your system isn’t handed off to a distant finance company for decades. It is designed, built, monitored, and professionally managed by the same local team, with terms allowing transferring full ownership to you as soon as legally allowed.
Our Positive Path Lease is capped at a 15-year term, during which Positive Energy fully guarantees and maintains your system. However, the solar panels themselves are built to last and come with a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty. When you choose to purchase your system—whether at Year 7 or Year 15—that long-term manufacturer’s warranty transfers directly to you, securing your investment for decades to come!
| Feature | Positive Path Prepaid Solar Lease | Conventional Solar Lease |
|---|---|---|
| Payment Structure | A single upfront prepayment for the initial lease term, reflecting an immediate ~30% effective discount. No monthly bills. | Locked into decades of monthly payments, frequently with annual cost escalators. |
| System Management & Accountability | Designed, installed, and monitored by a single, locally owned New Mexico team. | Owned by a distant, out-of-state finance company. |
| Pathway to Ownership | Provides the option to purchase the system at its Fair Market Value (FMV) at the end of the initial 6-year tax period. | Designed for the lender to retain ownership for 25 years, often with no early buyout options. |
| Selling Your Home | Seamless transfer. Because the initial term is prepaid, there are no credit checks or monthly payment transfers required for the buyer. | Complicated hurdles. The new buyer must financially qualify to take over the lease, or the seller faces penalty buyouts. |
| Performance Guarantees | Positive Energy Solar is contractually responsible for all maintenance, monitoring, and production guarantees during the initial term. | Installation, ownership, and servicing are often split among multiple entities, leaving accountability unclear if the system underperforms. Generally no performance guarantees. |
Ready to Secure Your 30% Upfront Discount?
Stop waiting for legislative changes and start saving today. Contact our local New Mexico solar experts to see if the Positive Path Prepaid Lease is right for your home.
