Homeowners or business owners who don’t have enough upfront cash to cover the entire cost of solar installation often have to choose between a solar loan and a solar lease.

With solar loans, you’ll benefit from the full value of your solar energy production. By owning your own solar, you’ll have the greatest return on your investment and benefit from state and federal solar incentives.

Under a solar lease, you won’t own your solar energy system, and therefore you won’t qualify for federal and local solar tax credits (which are some of the biggest savings). Leasing solar panels can also turn selling your home into a headache and can scare off buyers, and most monthly solar loan payments tend to be lower than those for leases.