rootusrootus
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2021
- Messages
- 55
Just got a quote for a professional install of ~13kW of panels for ~19K after rebates. Sounds great, and I am tempted. But when I work the numbers, I come up very short. If I drop 19K on PV right now, I could cut my bill from $200 to probably $50 (still have some basic grid fees and such, plus I don't think 13K would quite meet 100% of our needs). So let's say I net $1800/year in savings. Sounds good, break even in just over 10 years. But probably around 15 years from now I'll need a new roof, and the panels will be old, the labor to remove/reinstall is a big part of the cost, etc. So the effective lifespan of the array would be 15 years, right? So for my 19K investment I have 27K and the panels themselves have very little remaining value. If I can average more than about 3% in any other investment vehicle over the same timeframe, I'd be ahead.
I seem to be talking myself out of this. I thought that with $1.5/W installed cost it would be a slam dunk. I think the problem is the roof lifespan. I'm not replacing a 9 year old roof so I can get 25 years instead of 15 from the panels.
Am I wrong?
I seem to be talking myself out of this. I thought that with $1.5/W installed cost it would be a slam dunk. I think the problem is the roof lifespan. I'm not replacing a 9 year old roof so I can get 25 years instead of 15 from the panels.
Am I wrong?