Glossary
Solar subscription
A solar subscription is a model where a provider installs panels on your roof with no upfront cost and you pay a fixed monthly fee for 3 or 5 years, with no loan, no debt and no lien on the property, with 30% savings on your total bill guaranteed by contract and verified in an annual true-up. At the end of the term the system is removed for free.
What a solar subscription is
It is the fourth way to have solar, distinct from buying, borrowing and leasing. The provider owns the system, as in a lease, but the contract is short (3 or 5 years), the payment is fixed with no escalator, and no debt or lien is recorded against your home. The savings are not an estimate: the contract guarantees you will pay 30% less than your previous bill, minimum charge included, and if that is not met, the provider makes up the difference at the annual true-up, with no cap.
The system is designed at 115% of your consumption. When the term ends, removal is free and the roof is warrantied for ten years afterward. If you sell the house, the contract transfers.
Why it matters in Florida
Our subscription partner operates in Central Florida (Orlando, Kissimmee, Tampa) with FPL, Duke Energy and TECO customers. It is the option that fits best for someone burned by the solar industry: no 25-year debt, no escalator, no lien, and savings you can enforce by contract.
It is not for everyone. Mobile homes, tile or metal roofs, roofs with less than four years of life left, heavy shade, municipal or cooperative utilities, very low bills, and homes that need a battery or an electrical panel upgrade do not qualify, among other cases. And with a high bill and a good roof, traditional solar may save more over the long run.
Common mistake
Comparing it to a 25-year lease as if they were the same thing. The core difference is the term and the guarantee: three or five years with enforceable savings, versus twenty-five with an escalator and estimated savings. The other frequent confusion is expecting a zero bill: the 30% is calculated on the total, minimum charge included, but the utility bill does not disappear. Full details in solar subscription: how it works.
Full guide: 3-or-5-year solar subscription: how it works, who qualifies and when to skip it →
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