While new homebuyers say they want solar power, Oakwood Homes found that when push came to shove, that only five percent of homebuyers were willing to roll the cost of solar power into their mortgages.

The Denver Business Journal reported that when Oakwood Homes planned the Carriage House development in Green Valley Ranch, the homebuilder offered solar power by partnering with San Mateo, California-based SolarCity Corp.

Here's how it works: SolarCity rents its systems to homeowners through a 20-year lease, where the cost of the solar system is not included in the home price. Through monthly lease payments, homeowners get solar-generated electricity in their new homes. The lease payments, along with the smaller electric bills are typically just 70 percent of standard electric bills. A win-win-win all around.

The result? Of Oakwood's 126 Carriage House homes, 62 have sold; 80 percent of them opted for solar power. Dwayne Montoya, regional sales manager for Oakwood, said, "Consumers just grabbed on to it." Read more...