When you want solar panels on your roof, there are different ways to arrange this. The most obvious way is to buy solar panels. This option ultimately yields the most return, but there may still be reasons to choose to rent or lease solar panels. But what is leasing solar panels exactly? And why would you choose to do this or not? On this page we discuss the following topics:
The biggest difference between renting and buying solar panels lies in the investment and ownership. When you buy solar panels, you make a large investment in one go and then the solar panels are yours. With renting solar panels you pay a monthly rent and in return you can use the electricity generated by the solar panels. You start saving immediately, but the system remains the property of the supplier. The third option, leasing solar panels, is somewhere in between the two. With leasing solar panels, you essentially take out a loan to pay off the solar panels. You then immediately become the owner of the panels. Where with renting you have the option to buy the solar panels, with buying or leasing they are immediately yours.
Because you become the owner of the system when leasing solar panels, you will benefit from some of the same advantages as when you would buy solar panels. For example, you can claim the VAT on the installation back. You may also be eligible for subsidies. For private individuals, there is currently no national subsidy available, but in many provinces and municipalities there is their own subsidy scheme for renewable energy. When you would rent solar panels, you would not be eligible for this. Leasing solar panels therefore sounds like the ideal option for those who want to invest, but do not want to pay a large amount at once.
But is leasing solar panels really so ideal? The big downside of leasing solar panels is that it is a loan that must be registered with the BKR. Such a registration can be detrimental when you, for example, want to take out a mortgage or loan or apply for a credit card. An additional disadvantage is that often high interest rates are charged. This means that the yield is much lower than with buying and renting and is sometimes not even profitable anymore. This is the reason that most providers of solar panels, including our subsidiary Huurdezon, do not offer the option to lease solar panels.
Because you become the owner of the system when leasing solar panels, you will benefit from some of the same advantages as when you would buy solar panels. For example, you can claim the VAT on the installation back. You may also be eligible for subsidies. For private individuals, there is currently no national subsidy available, but in many provinces and municipalities there is their own subsidy scheme for renewable energy. When you would rent solar panels, you would not be eligible for this. Leasing solar panels therefore sounds like the ideal option for those who want to invest, but do not want to pay a large amount at once
