Environmental and political and personal considerations, plus the practical consideration of being grounded in our current home by a 15-percent drop in its value since we bought it in 2005 ultimately pushed me, along with my somewhat begrudging wife, into going solar despite the substantial upfront costs.

You may reach a different decision when you weigh the economic, environmental and political and personal considerations surrounding whether to go solar.

Certainly, going solar has unfortunately remained primarily the province of the comparative economic elite, meaning those solidly in the middle and upper middle class. Its upfront costs are just too high for Americans in the lower middle, and lower economic classes.

If economic considerations are holding you back and you live in a state (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Oregon) as well as in an area in those states in which solar leasing is an option, this is a great alternative to buying a system.

This is too bad – and, thankfully, there are some trying to change this, for instance, GridAlternatives.Com.

If economic considerations are holding you back and you live in a state (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Oregon) as well as in an area in those states in which solar leasing is an option, this is a great alternative to buying a system.

Finally, if you aren’t especially motivated by environmental and/or political considerations in terms of going solar:

a) more than likely, you haven’t read this far;
b) you have read this far and you’re still waiting to hear an economic argument for solar;

Actually, I’ve already repeatedly made this argument – as have countless solar advocates and solar industry folks.

In the long term, barring the unusual, you will save money by putting solar panels on your home. Again, though, unless you can lease your panels, you will also pay a substantial upfront cost -- which, over the long run, will pay off.

I’m repetitive here because it takes a lot of convincing when the choice is between paying $13,000 right now for a solar system that will cover your electricity for 25 years, or $80,000 -- or more -- to your utility over the course of 25 years.

I believe it’s this upfront cost of solar – and the anxiety of the immediate big sum of money vs. the relative comfort of smaller sums of money, which add up to more in the long run, going to your utility company -- that’s holding back millions, maybe even tens of millions from going solar.

For this reason, I hope residential solar leasing takes off, in much the way it’s taken off in the corporate realm, which has seen a 50-percent increase in SPPAs in the last three years – and that SolarChargedDriving.Com readers out there who might not otherwise go solar, go solar because solar leasing, through a reputable and stable company with a proven track record of successful leasing (such as Solar City or Sun Run) has become available in their state and area.

Going solar series-->

• Going solar: Economic considerations
• Going solar: Environmental considerations
• Going solar: Personal and political considerations
• Going solar: Putting it all together