Third-party ownership in US solar
Lease/PPA share of recorded installations — the ownership split behind the post-ITC shift, by state and by year.
Dataset updated . Sources: LBNL Tracking the Sun + city permit records + state programs + USGS/EIA utility-scale.
All-time TPO share
27%
1,055,690 of 3,941,331
2026 TPO share
0%
Highest-TPO state
New Jersey
65%
By state
TPO share by state
| State | TPO share | TPO installs | All installs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 65% | 125,918 | 193,866 |
| Connecticut | 61% | 33,459 | 55,073 |
| Massachusetts | 47% | 74,292 | 158,257 |
| Illinois | 39% | 28,828 | 74,860 |
| New York | 34% | 67,190 | 198,404 |
| California | 29% | 596,004 | 2,070,309 |
| Arizona | 28% | 86,541 | 311,449 |
| Colorado | 27% | 31,886 | 116,390 |
| Delaware | 25% | 1,990 | 7,905 |
| District of Columbia | 19% | 5,596 | 29,665 |
| Vermont | 10% | 2,809 | 27,944 |
| Oregon | 1% | 236 | 16,453 |
| Rhode Island | 1% | 55 | 4,769 |
| Maryland | 1% | 419 | 79,228 |
| Minnesota | 0% | 81 | 23,799 |
| Wisconsin | 0% | 49 | 17,434 |
| New Mexico | 0% | 90 | 54,473 |
| Texas | 0% | 234 | 244,796 |
| Arkansas | 0% | 1 | 2,375 |
| Florida | 0% | 11 | 26,158 |
| Washington | 0% | 1 | 8,324 |
| Utah | 0% | 0 | 47,715 |
| Louisiana | 0% | 0 | 41,418 |
| Nevada | 0% | 0 | 31,593 |
| Pennsylvania | 0% | 0 | 24,332 |
| Virginia | 0% | 0 | 18,457 |
| North Carolina | 0% | 0 | 16,195 |
| Maine | 0% | 0 | 13,671 |
| New Hampshire | 0% | 0 | 10,028 |
| Ohio | 0% | 0 | 4,576 |
| Missouri | 0% | 0 | 4,428 |
| Hawaii | 0% | 0 | 3,070 |
| Kentucky | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Michigan | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Georgia | 0% | 0 | 681 |
| Tennessee | 0% | 0 | 509 |
| Indiana | 0% | 0 | 240 |
| South Carolina | 0% | 0 | 232 |
| Iowa | 0% | 0 | 77 |
| Nebraska | 0% | 0 | 61 |
| Alaska | 0% | 0 | 60 |
| Kansas | 0% | 0 | 57 |
| Oklahoma | 0% | 0 | 47 |
| Mississippi | 0% | 0 | 46 |
| Alabama | 0% | 0 | 43 |
| Montana | 0% | 0 | 29 |
| Idaho | 0% | 0 | 27 |
| Wyoming | 0% | 0 | 9 |
| South Dakota | 0% | 0 | 7 |
| West Virginia | 0% | 0 | 7 |
| North Dakota | 0% | 0 | 1 |
Over time
TPO share by year
| Year | TPO share | Installs |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 0% | 6,002 |
| 2006 | 0% | 9,261 |
| 2007 | 2% | 14,356 |
| 2008 | 4% | 17,825 |
| 2009 | 6% | 30,753 |
| 2010 | 11% | 45,057 |
| 2011 | 27% | 58,561 |
| 2012 | 45% | 80,425 |
| 2013 | 39% | 121,766 |
| 2014 | 34% | 175,007 |
| 2015 | 43% | 273,268 |
| 2016 | 45% | 318,589 |
| 2017 | 35% | 253,363 |
| 2018 | 30% | 264,296 |
| 2019 | 29% | 291,546 |
| 2020 | 28% | 303,956 |
| 2021 | 22% | 386,148 |
| 2022 | 19% | 497,816 |
| 2023 | 20% | 529,731 |
| 2024 | 5% | 68,045 |
| 2025 | 0% | 52,422 |
| 2026 | 0% | 5,216 |
Frequently asked questions
What is third-party ownership (TPO) in solar?
A third-party-owned system is one the homeowner does not own — a lease or power-purchase agreement where a company (Sunrun, formerly SolarCity/Tesla, etc.) owns the panels and sells the power or capacity. The alternative is host ownership via cash or a solar loan.
What share of home solar is third-party owned?
27% of all recorded installations are third-party owned; in 2026 the share was 0%. The mix varies sharply by state — New Jersey leads at 65%.