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Sunrun promises “free solar” with $0 down. But after 25 years of escalating payments, Massachusetts homeowners often pay $15,000–$20,000 more than buying outright from a local installer. Here’s the full breakdown.
For most Massachusetts homeowners, buying your solar system through a local installer saves $15,000–$20,000 over 25 years compared to a Sunrun lease or PPA. You keep 100% of SMART 3.0 incentives, full net metering credits, and ConnectedSolutions battery revenue. The system adds to your home value with no contract complications.
Sunrun’s $0-down model can make sense if you have poor credit, cannot secure a solar loan, or plan to move within 3–5 years. But for long-term homeowners, ownership wins on every financial metric.
| Feature | Sunrun Lease/PPA | Local Installer (Own) |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Cost | $0 down | $28,000-$35,000 (or loan) |
| Who Owns the System | Sunrun | You — from day one |
| Monthly Payment | $150-$200/mo, rising 2-3%/yr | $0 (cash) or fixed loan |
| 25-Year Total Cost | $45,000-$55,000 | $28,000-$35,000 |
| SMART 3.0 Income | Kept by Sunrun | Yours — ~$4,500-$6,000 |
| Net Metering Credits | Partial or none | 100% at 1:1 retail |
| ConnectedSolutions | Not available | $225-$275/kW annually |
| Home Value Impact | Lease complicates sale | +4% avg home value |
| Contract Length | 25 years, hard to exit | No contract — you own it |
| Equipment Choice | Sunrun selects | You choose panels/inverter |
| Monitoring | Sunrun app | Enphase/SolarEdge (your data) |
| Maintenance | Included | Warranty-covered, minimal |
Massachusetts has some of the best solar incentives in the country. But with a lease or PPA, many of these go to Sunrun — not you.
$0.03/kWh for 20 years on systems up to 25 kW. For a typical 8 kW system producing 9,500 kWh/year, that’s ~$5,700 over 20 years.
1:1 retail credit for systems under 25 kW. At $0.28–$0.32/kWh, excess production credits are worth $800–$1,200/year.
Eversource pays $275/kW summer + $50 winter for battery DR. A 10 kWh battery earns $650–$975/year.
Massachusetts offers a 20-year property tax exemption on the added value of your solar system, plus 6.25% sales tax exemption on equipment. These apply only when you own the system. With a Sunrun lease, the property tax benefit is irrelevant (Sunrun owns the panels) and sales tax savings go to Sunrun.
The residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025. Neither Sunrun nor any local installer can offer you a federal ITC on a cash or loan purchase. Sunrun’s financing company may claim the commercial ITC (Section 48E) on leases/PPAs, but that benefit stays with Sunrun — it does not reduce your payments.
Sunrun PPAs typically start at $0.18–$0.22/kWh with a 1.9–2.9% annual escalator. Let’s see what a 2.5% escalator does to a $0.20/kWh starting rate on a system producing 9,500 kWh/year:
| Year | PPA Rate | Annual Cost | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $0.200 | $1,900 | $1,900 |
| Year 5 | $0.221 | $2,100 | $10,200 |
| Year 10 | $0.250 | $2,375 | $21,300 |
| Year 15 | $0.283 | $2,689 | $33,900 |
| Year 20 | $0.320 | $3,040 | $48,200 |
| Year 25 | $0.362 | $3,439 | $64,500 |
Sunrun PPA 25-Year Total
~$64,500
With 2.5% escalator at $0.20 start
Owned System 25-Year Total
~$30,000
Purchase price + minimal maintenance
Key insight: By year 15, your Sunrun PPA rate ($0.283/kWh) exceeds today’s Eversource rate ($0.34/kWh). By year 20, you’re paying more than National Grid’s current rate ($0.32/kWh) — for solar power you don’t even own.
NuWatt Propel combines the best of both worlds: $0 down like Sunrun, but you own the system after just 7 years — not 25. No escalators. No long-term contract. Currently available in Maine and Texas, with Massachusetts launching soon.
Learn about Propel
The best way to compare solar options is effective cost per kWh over the system lifetime. Here’s how Sunrun and ownership stack up in Massachusetts:
Sunrun PPA (Avg)
$0.27
per kWh over 25 years
Owned System (Cash)
$0.08
per kWh over 25 years
Owned System (Loan)
$0.12
per kWh over 25 years
Based on 8 kW system, 9,500 kWh/year production, 0.5% annual degradation. Cash assumes $30,000 purchase. Loan assumes 6.5% APR, 15-year term. Sunrun assumes $0.20/kWh start with 2.5% annual escalator.
No. Sunrun offers $0-down leases and PPAs, but you pay monthly for 25 years. With a 2.5% annual escalator, you may pay $45,000-$55,000 total — more than buying the system outright at $28,000-$35,000.
The residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired on December 31, 2025. Neither Sunrun nor local installers can offer homeowners a federal ITC on cash or loan purchases. Sunrun's financing company may claim the commercial ITC (Section 48E) on leases/PPAs, but that benefit stays with Sunrun — not you.
With a Sunrun lease or PPA, Sunrun typically retains the SMART 3.0 incentive payments ($0.03/kWh for 20 years). When you own your system through a local installer, you keep 100% of SMART income — worth roughly $4,500-$6,000 over the program term for a typical 8 kW system.
You must either transfer the 25-year lease to the buyer (who must qualify) or buy out the remaining contract. Many buyers are reluctant to assume solar leases, which can complicate or delay home sales. With an owned system, solar adds roughly 4% to home value with no strings attached.
Yes, in most cases. A locally installed owned system costs $28,000-$35,000 total for an 8-10 kW system. Over 25 years, a Sunrun PPA at $0.20/kWh with a 2.5% escalator totals $45,000-$55,000. Ownership also gives you SMART payments and full net metering credits.
NuWatt currently offers Propel, a $0-down prepaid ESA where you own the system after 7 years, in Maine and Texas. Propel is coming to Massachusetts soon. In the meantime, NuWatt offers competitive cash and loan options with full ownership from day one.
See exactly what solar would cost for your home — with real pricing, no escalators, and full ownership from day one.
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