Solar in DC: rent or buy?

[Anonymous]

Looking to put solar on our roof. We would get 15kwh off the house which would cover our costs and then allow us to sell SERCs back to DC. The cost of installation is about $30000 accounting for the tax credit. Warranty on installation is 10 years, on panels is 20. We will be replacing the roof just beforehand.

We would have to take out a loan to install but could cover it pretty quickly. This may be our forever home or we may sell in a few years, it isn’t clear.

The company (Solar Solutions) also offers to install and lease the panels, in which case they cover all costs and we just get free electricity, don’t need to cover up front costs.

My wife thinks the lease makes the most sense so we don’t have to worry about maintenance, and because she thinks we would make more money investing the upfront costs (when we have it obviously). I think we may be missing a major opportunity selling back SERCs over the next 20 years if we stay, and a leased system could be a nightmare if we sell.

Any advice or thoughts on whether to buy or lease?