In a big milestone for the fast-evolving US distributed solar market, direct ownership – meaning cash sales and loans – will overtake third-party ownership as the leading model for residential solar financing in 2017, GTM Research predicts.

The third-party ownership (TPO) model – centred on long-term solar leases and PPAs – has been central to the meteoric rise of US rooftop solar players like SolarCity and Vivint Solar, with TPO deals overtaking direct sales in 2011 and peaking at a 72% market share in 2014.

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