Start with the cash price for the exact system
Request a cash price that identifies system size, module and inverter models, mounting equipment, monitoring, permits, Evergy interconnection, warranties, and any electrical or roof work. Then ask for the financed price of that same scope. If equipment or warranties change between versions, the comparison is no longer clean.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Homeowner’s Guide to Solar explains that a purchased system can generally have a lower total cost than one acquired with a loan, lease, or power purchase agreement. That does not make cash right for every household; it means total cost deserves equal attention with the upfront payment.
Make every loan cost visible
For each loan, record the amount financed, interest rate, annual percentage rate when provided, term, monthly payment, total of payments, origination or dealer fees, prepayment rules, late fees, and any payment change tied to an expected lump-sum payment. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s solar-loan consumer advisory warns that some solar loan prices include dealer fees that increase the amount borrowed. Ask the lender and installer to identify those fees in writing.
Compare at least three numbers side by side: the cash price, the financed principal, and the total paid if the loan runs for its full term. A lower interest rate can still accompany a higher financed price.
Do not count an expired homeowner credit
The IRS states that the federal Residential Clean Energy Credit is not available for expenditures made after December 31, 2025. A current Lee’s Summit proposal should not reduce the displayed price or future loan balance by an assumed 30% homeowner credit. Verify any other claimed incentive with the agency or utility that administers it, and seek qualified tax advice for your circumstances.
Separate ownership from the payment method
A cash purchase and a solar loan generally leave the homeowner owning the equipment. A lease or power purchase agreement is different: another party may own the system, and transfer, buyout, removal, insurance, and home-sale terms can matter. Ask who owns each component, receives any incentive, maintains it, controls monitoring, and carries performance obligations.
Include the roof and utility process
If the roof may need work during the system’s life, price panel removal and reinstallation now. The Lee’s Summit roof-and-solar guide covers project sequencing and written responsibility. Also confirm that the contract includes the City permit and Evergy application sequence described in the permit and interconnection guide.
Test the savings assumptions
Ask the proposal to show annual production, household use, self-consumption, exports, degradation, utility-rate assumptions, maintenance, and financing separately. Evergy’s private generation and net-metering guidance explains the interconnection and billing framework, but no financing choice guarantees savings. Roof exposure, actual use, system cost, loan terms, equipment performance, and future rates all affect the result.