Leasing solar panels to heat your house?

Want to incorporate solar technology to heat your home, but can't afford the steep investment costs? You're in luck. Let the solar panel company finance it for you.

Installing solar panels is a smart, not to mention, eco-friendly way to heat your home. However, buying them may be too pricey for the average consumer. They cost roughly $25,000 ... and that includes a potential 30-percent tax credit.

For a few years now, companies have been leasing solar panels to homeowners. The consumer pays a $1000 deposit, and then follows through with a monthly fee. The lease for the solar panels lasts 18 years, according to an article in the Christian Science Monitor. If you decide to sell your home before your solar panel lease is up, you can sell your excess back to the company.

The pros? There's no installation charge. According to an article in the Boston Globe, there's viable proof that a homeowner can earn back the investment in three years.

The cons? The company, not the homeowner, receives the tax benefits of owning the solar panels. If you have white winters, you will have to remove the snow from your leased panels.

And, the obvious trade-off, is that you won't save as much money as you would if you paid for them outright.