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When Roger Van Tassell looks at his electric bill, he now has two reasons to smile. It is cheaper- in the double digits - because he uses solar power.
But instead of shelling out $20,000 or more to buy and install equipment, the Yonkers resident and retired telephone company employee paid $4,700 to lease a 17-panel system for 20 years.
Bronx-based OnForce, a solar installation and leasing firm, supplemented his payment with federal and state incentives worth about $13,000. As he sees it, he got solar for a song.
Van Tassell said his electric bills have gone from $180 a month to $50 in October and $40 in September.
"It was so incredibly affordable," Van Tassell said.
"If I were to buy the stuff outright, it would have cost me at least $18,000."
Solar leasing gained a foothold in California, where now about half the market for solar comes from leased equipment. The New York Public Service Commission in 2011 introduced solar in much of New York state.
The Long Island Power Authority last week followed suit, allowing rebates of up to $5,000 for
leased residential panels in what could prove a game changer for solar energy in this region, generating savings, jobs and even a need for...