Financing calculator: cash vs loan vs lease vs PPA
The same $25,000 system can be sold four very different ways. This tool shows the total cost of each path, makes the dealer fee visible, and explains why a financed price is not comparable to a cash price.
Key fact: with the federal residential credit at $0 for 2026, a “low APR” loan is funded entirely by a dealer fee baked into the financed principal. Always ask: “What is the cash price, and what is the dealer fee percentage?”
Comparison & transparency
Dealer fees, explained
A “25% dealer fee” means the financed principal is the cash price divided by 0.75 — so a $25,000 cash system becomes ≈$33,300 financed, before interest. The fee buys you the low advertised APR; you pay it back over the loan term. There is nothing illegal about this, but it must be disclosed. If a lender won’t tell you the fee, walk.
Lease & PPA fine print
Leases and PPAs usually include escalators (often 2–3%/yr). “No upfront cost” is not “free” — you pay through the term. At term end you typically renew, buy out, or have the system removed. Read the transfer terms: many contracts transfer to a new owner if you sell the home. Full comparison: the guide.