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A cooperative approach to clean energy finance

A Prepaid Lease and Energy Services Agreement (ESA) with Amicus Integrity Built In

When we looked at how to make solar and energy storage accessible to more homeowners, we saw a clear opportunity to take a proven financial model—the partial prepaid lease/ESA—and elevate it using our cooperative principles. The Amicus Impact Partial Prepaid Lease/ESA combines the maintenance-free benefits of a third-party owned system with the uncompromising quality and local dedication you expect from an Amicus member. Because our cooperative is 100% owned by the local solar companies who design and install the projects, we have built a lease/ESA that is designed with the best interests of the homeowner in mind.

What is a Prepaid Solar Lease/ESA?

A prepaid solar lease/ESA is a unique model designed to maximize your energy savings while offering complete operational ease. Here is how it functions:

Optimized Financial Value: By structuring the system as a lease or ESA, our cooperative is able to capture and utilize available federal tax incentives directly. We pass these savings straight to you in the form of a significantly reduced upfront payment—up to 30% off instantly. You don’t have to wait for the benefits of a tax credit.

Hassle-Free Cooperative Care: Because Amicus Impact Cooperative owns the solar and/or energy storage system, we take full responsibility for the system’s day-to-day operations, insurance, care, and protection. In addition, we will pay your local Amicus member (who designed and installed the system) to handle all the monitoring and maintenance at no out-of-pocket cost to you. 

The Best of Both Worlds: This structure serves as the perfect bridge for homeowners who value a hands-off, fully managed experience today, but still want the option to transition into full ownership of the clean energy system after just five years.

The Amicus Impact Advantage

Traditional solar leases/ESAs often lock you into escalating monthly payments and leave you dealing with third-party customer service departments. By applying cooperative values to this financial model, we’ve created a structure that delivers more value, more flexibility, and deep accountability.

  • Built by Our Cooperative—Not a Big Bank: No for-profit investors. No shareholders looking for speedy returns. Just a mission-driven cooperative with a goal of widespread solar and energy storage adoption and customer success.
  • 100% Member-Owned, Local Accountability: You get the personal care that only a local, independent business can provide and long-term support from the original solar and energy storage experts who designed and built the system.
  • Financial Clarity: A single upfront payment and no additional monthly payments for 5-years. After 5 years, you’ll have a fixed monthly payment (no escalator) if you decide to continue your lease/ESA.

Impact Prepaid Solar Lease/ESA Timeline

Year 0: The Partial Prepayment. You make an upfront payment, locking in your effective discount of up to 30%.

Years 1-5: The Partial Prepaid Term. Amicus Impact Cooperative member installs, monitors & maintains the system—providing a guaranteed clean electricity production output and energy storage services.

Year 6: Your First Ownership Window (optional). You have the option to take full ownership of your system by paying a fair market value (FMV) price in Year 6 of your 15-Year Term. You will receive a credit for any unaccrued lease/ESA payments you prepaid in Year 0, applied to the FMV price in Year 6. This credit can substantially reduce the amount you pay to purchase the system.

Years 6-15: The Optional Extension. Not ready to buy? You can continue the lease/ESA with low, fixed monthly payments and a guaranteed 0% annual escalator.

Years 15+: End of Term Options. You can choose to purchase the system at its then-current FMV, request a five-year extension, or have us remove the system at no cost to you.

Total Energy Independence. Once you opt to purchase the system, either at Year 6 or at another time between then and the end of your 15-Year Term, the lease/ESA ends, and your savings and clean energy benefits continue. The system’s 25-year manufacturer warranty protects your solar panels for the long haul, allowing you to enjoy clean electricity for the rest of the system’s lifetime, often 35+ years.

Want to learn more? Contact your local participating Amicus member company today to see how the Amicus Impact Prepaid Lease/ESA optimizes your savings and protects your home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes the Amicus Impact Prepaid Lease/ESA Different?

Unlike traditional solar lease/ESA options, there’s no for-profit financing company needing to generate shareholder returns. That means fewer fees, fewer complications, and a program built by a cooperative of solar and energy storage experts with your best interests in mind, not to generate profits for third parties or Wall Street investors.

How do I qualify for the Amicus Impact Prepaid Lease/ESA?

Unlike traditional financing models, with the Amicus Impact Prepaid Lease/ESA there is no credit check or other type of financial qualification.

There are some limitations based on system type and size, but for the majority of customers, if your roof will work for solar, you qualify.

It’s clear, it’s easy, it’s straightforward.

Why does a business have to own the system for 5 years?
To qualify for the business solar and energy storage tax credit (Section 48E of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code) we need to own the system for at least 5 years of system operation. The Amicus Impact Prepaid Lease/ESA uses this business tax credit to offer you a discounted prepayment upfront.
What happens if I sell my house?

Amicus Impact is designed for simplified transfers. Because the initial term is prepaid, we do not require any credit approvals of the new homeowner.

If you sell your home within the first 5 years, the new homeowner can easily take over the remaining lease/ESA term.

If you sell your home after year 5, the new homeowner can assume the remaining lease/ESA, or if you elected the option to purchase your system at FMV, it’s part of the house and sale of your home; with monitoring easily transferred to the new homeowners.

Why can't we provide a guaranteed future Fair Market Value (FMV) buyout price today?

Per IRS rules, fair market value (FMV) must be determined using the facts that exist at the time when the purchase option becomes available. Under the lease/ESA terms, relevant considerations include:

  • The system’s age and location
  • System size and equipment type
  • Actual performance history
  • Equipment condition and remaining warranties
  • Solar market conditions
  • Estimated operations and maintenance costs
  • Other relevant circumstances at the time.

Because these facts can change over the first five years, we cannot establish or guarantee the future FMV purchase price when the lease/ESA is signed. Your purchase option price equals the system’s FMV minus a credit for your unused prepaid lease/ESA portion of the remaining term. Please note, FMV is different than “fair value” which is commonly used in real estate and based on the value of other comparable homes to yours.  With your Amicus Impact Prepaid Lease/ESA, we are using future FMV, which is defined by the IRS as a price determined in the future between a willing buyer and willing seller, both having knowledge of all relevant facts, and both acting in their own best interest.