SolarCity's pricing structure was a large deciding factor for me. I ended up using an independent installer to equip my small Los Angeles-area home with solar.

SolarCity's pricing structure was a large deciding factor for me. I ended up using an independent installer to equip my small Los Angeles-area home with solar. I bought the panels and SolarCity's buy option was considerably more expensive. To your point about Elon Musk, as a fan of Tesla and SpaceX, I can tell you that at least the customer experience gulf between Tesla and SolarCity is notable. SolarCity is the kind of place where you are teased with $100 gift cards and other silly promotions. As a potential customer, you are juggled among a team of sales people who very aggressively chase the sale. Talking about things like a buy option is a bit "off script" for SolarCity and the answers to technical and contractual questions are vague. All that said, I too like that they are in the market, providing a mainstream option that appeals to a wide audience.