Refinance a solar loan: your options
Usually driven by one thing: a payment that jumped because a tax-credit prepayment never happened.
Written by HyreSolar Research Desk Primary-source research; not legal or financial advice
The short answer
To refinance a solar loan, your options are an unsecured personal loan, home-equity borrowing (a HELOC or home-equity loan), or folding the balance into a cash-out mortgage refinance. Each pays off the solar lender, which then owes you a filing release.
The usual trigger is in the CFPB’s 2024 report: many solar loans “re-amortize at a higher monthly payment amount at the 19th month” unless the borrower prepays, often 30% of principal, the size of the old tax credit. Homeowners who never received that credit, and no 2026 buyer will, face the higher payment.
Check your contract first
- The re-amortization clause
The month and the prepayment amount that keep your payment flat.
- Prepayment terms
Whether any fee applies to paying off early. The CFPB found solar loans more often require prepayment than penalise it, but read yours.
- The payoff figure and its valid-through date
- Whether a UCC-1 fixture filing was recorded
The new lender or title company may need it terminated or subordinated.
Your options compared
| Option | Secured by | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Personal loan | Nothing | Higher rates than secured debt; shorter terms |
| HELOC or home-equity loan | Your house | Variable rate on most HELOCs; your home is at risk on default; closing costs |
| Cash-out mortgage refinance | Your house | Resets your whole mortgage rate and term; closing costs; any senior solar filing must be subordinated or cleared |
| Make the prepayment instead | n/a | Only if you have the cash; compare against the interest the refinance would cost |
We do not quote rates: they move weekly and depend on your credit. Compare offers on APR and total cost over the term with the solar loan calculator.
Step by step
- 1Get the current payoff and the post-month-19 payment
- 2Get two or three refinance offers
Compare APR, term, fees and total repaid.
- 3Run both through the loan calculator
Keep the existing loan only if it is cheaper in total.
- 4Close the new loan and pay off the solar lender
- 5Get the filing terminated
For consumer goods the lender must file a termination within one month of payoff, or 20 days after your written demand. See UCC-1 removal.
When to get help
If you suspect the original loan carried a hidden dealer fee, which the CFPB found typically runs 10 to 30% of the cash price, raise it with the lender and the CFPB before refinancing, because refinancing settles the debt. A HUD-approved housing counselor can review home-equity options at no cost.
When you are ready
Ready to explore solar for your home?
If you have done your research and want to speak with a solar professional, HyreSolar can help you explore available options.
Free, with no obligation: a person at HyreSolar reads your request and gets back to you about it. Matching with solar professionals is not live yet, so this is not a quote, and nothing is shared with anyone until you agree.
Keep learningQuestions
Can you refinance a solar loan?
Why did my solar loan payment go up?
Should I use a HELOC to pay off a solar loan?
Sources and retrieval dates
- CFPB, Issue Spotlight: Solar Financing , published 7 August 2024: dealer fees, re-amortization at month 19, PPA escalators of 1 to 5% Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- CFPB consumer advisory on solar loans Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- UCC § 9-513, termination statement , one month after payoff, or 20 days after an authenticated demand Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-3-04, properties with solar panels , lease value excluded; senior fixture filing must be subordinated Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- CFPB, submit a complaint Retrieved 22 October 2026.
This page explains how solar contracts and consumer rules usually work and links the documents it relies on.
It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice; your own contract and your state’s law decide your case.
For a dispute, speak to a lawyer licensed in your state or your state attorney general’s consumer office. HyreSolar does not install, finance, lease or sell solar.