The Wall St. Journal reports that “many companies have been trying to make it easier and cheaper for homeowners to generate electricity from the sun, chipping away at the utilities’ monopolies. The number of residential solar installations has climbed, aided by their declining cost and government incentives.”  

“Now home builders have jumped in. Such systems are less expensive to install during a house’s construction than afterward, while some builders offer the cheaper option to lease a system rather than buy one.”  

“The moves are applauded by solar advocates, who say the involvement of builders will increase solar usage while eliminating the steep upfront cost of the equipment, which can run from $10,000 to $20,000.”