Can I get the REF grant if I lease my panels?

The short answer

No. You must own the home and the system. Leases and PPAs don't qualify.You must own the home and the system. Leases and PPAs don't qualify.Who can get the grantYou must also own the property, and it must be in Rhode Island.RI Commerce, Renewable Energy Fund, Small-Scale Request for Projects (rev. 4/6/26)Things to know, bullet 6Verified Oct 28, 2026 If you lease the panels or sign a PPA, the state grant does not apply. Ask the seller to show this rule in writing before you sign.

What counts as owning the system?

You own the system when the panels are your property after installation. You may hire an installer, but the system belongs to you.

With a lease or PPA, a company owns the panels. You pay that company for the use of the system or for the power it makes. That is the part that matters for REF. The state rule is about who owns the system, not only whose roof it sits on.

What happens to the grant money?

REF is not a check that comes to you after the job. The grant is paid to your installer and comes off your contract price.The grant is paid to your installer and comes off your contract price.How the grant money movesAsk to see the grant amount and what you owe after it on your contract.RI Commerce, Renewable Energy Fund, Small-Scale Request for Projects (rev. 4/6/26)Project application requirements: an executed turnkey contract, contingent on REF funding, showing total cost, the REF grant amount and the net owedVerified Oct 28, 2026 That makes ownership easy to miss in a sales pitch. The contract should show the total price, the grant amount, and what is left after the grant.

If the contract says the company owns the panels, do not count on the REF grant. Ask the seller to write down whether the project is customer-owned or company-owned. Keep that answer with your quote.

Could the company get a federal credit?

Possibly. A company-owned system may still qualify for a federal creditYes, for systems started by July 4, 2026 or running by the end of 2027.Can a solar company claim a federal credit on a leased or PPA system in 2026?This credit goes to the company that owns the system, not to you. Homeowners who buy lost their own federal credit at the end of 2025.IRS, Instructions for Form 3468 (2025), Part V; IRS Notice 2025-42; 26 U.S.C. 25D(d)Form 3468 instructions: What's New, Part V (termination for wind or solar placed in service after 2027 where construction begins after July 4, 2026) and Part V Caution (no credit for leased 25D(d)(1) or (4) property). Notice 2025-42, sections 2.02 and 3.01 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-42.pdf). 25D(d)(1) to (4) definitions (govinfo, USCODE-2024-title26 sec. 25D).Verified Sep 28, 2026 That credit is not the same as the Rhode Island REF grant. It goes with ownership of the system, so it may belong to the company that owns the panels.

This does not make a lease bad by itself. It means the price should stand on its own. If a seller says a federal credit helps lower your cost, ask where that shows up in the contract.

What should I ask before I sign?

Ask these questions in writing:

• Who owns the panels?
• Is this customer-owned, a lease, or a PPA?
• Does the price include the REF grant?
• If yes, where is the REF grant shown on the contract?
• Will the system use net metering or REG?

That last question matters because REG replaces net metering. You get one or the other.REG replaces net metering. You get one or the other.Does REG work with net metering?A system already on net metering can't join REG. Ask in writing who receives REG's cash part; RI Energy's documents differ on it.RI Energy, RE Growth Program Tariff for Residential Customers, RIPUC No. 2151-M (effective 4/1/2026)Sheets 6-7, project segmentation paragraphVerified Sep 28, 2026 The bill can look different depending on the program. Get the program choice and the ownership answer before you compare prices.