Does Solar Pay for Itself? Is it worth it?

[niktak11]

It's actually

Cost effective? The simple answer used to be "probably not". But all at once there is no simple answer,

It looks like the next few years of purchasing electricity are going to be very much unlike any of the last 80 or so years for the average American homeowner and business. (sorry the USA is all I can speak about).

Many of us are quite used to a relatively simple model. The more KWH you buy the more total $ you pay. Many of us are still on tiered rates structures that actually ENCOURAGE us to have all electric homes and be nonchalant about energy conservation. IE: the first 500 kWH are 15 cents per KWH then the rest of the KWH drop to 10 cents.

But that is going to be radically changing soon for nearly all of us and you're going to have be a rocket surgeon to figure out the rate structures. They know that if they can confuse they can beat you.

For some that is going to make solar very cost effective while others will end up paying more if they add solar. It will be incredibly specific to the individual utilities and specific to what type of customer you are. I think many utilities will be implementing rates that penalize grid tied solar to the point that the only way you will save money is that if you go completely off grid. But then again if resiliency is what you're after...

It's the opposite with my power company. The first MWh of each month is cheaper.

 

[OzSolar]

It's actually

It's the opposite with my power company. The first MWh of each month is cheaper.

Where are you?

 

[niktak11]

Where are you?

Oregon

 

[OzSolar]

Oregon

Do you know if that is same on other utilities around you? Other states around you?

I do a lot of consulting work for commercial and industrial customers on around 2 dozen utilities across the midwest and most of them are still are on "buy more pay less" rates but as I mentioned earlier that is fixing to change.

 

[Lt.Dan]

I must be the minority here at 28 years old. I do have more gray hair than colored hair though...

To add my info about this threads topic, my solar array will be finished installed tomorrow. 11kw DC connected to a Sol Ark 12k. 20 year loan, and by my calculations it should pay for itself in 7 years. Obviously its going to be more with any repairs/upgrades and batteries i add, but id say thats not bad for me. Im actually planning on less time if electric rates continue to rise as fast as they have been...

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Reminds me of an event that took place last week for me. A local family business I frequent a lot - had a new cordless phone system they had purchased, yet sat for a year. They could not find someone to cable it in. Long short, I made a cable from Cat5 that had 4 RJ-11s connected to each twisted pair on both ends. The 3 younger adults (range 18-25?) helping me install the cable and the phone system were amazed . bewildered even that I knew how to make such a cable (simple as it was) and asked me how I learned such. They seemed eager to learn (maybe). Told them, I have no clue how I knew such - was decades ago. Then it dawned on me, as I told them, it was in the 70s or 80s I learned such and you have 100,000 times more information in your pocket (cell phone) than I could ever dreamed of having back then.

Tip and ring.. kids probably have no idea what that is.
I guess when you grow up with cells phones instead of a party line things are different.

They stopped teaching cursive about 15 years ago here in public schools.

Now nobody under 30 can read it.

My Grandkids think it’s Hieroglyphics or something.

I think this is why history can be changed over time. Nobody can research it anymore.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I must be the minority here at 28 years old. I do have more gray hair than colored hair though...

To add my info about this threads topic, my solar array will be finished installed tomorrow. 11kw DC connected to a Sol Ark 12k. 20 year loan, and by my calculations it should pay for itself in 7 years. Obviously its going to be more with any repairs/upgrades and batteries i add, but id say thats not bad for me. Im actually planning on less time if electric rates continue to rise as fast as they have been...

Good for you!! Keep up the good work and pass on your knowledge..

 

[niktak11]

Do you know if that is same on other utilities around you? Other states around you?

I do a lot of consulting work for commercial and industrial customers on around 2 dozen utilities across the midwest and most of them are still are on "buy more pay less" rates but as I mentioned earlier that is fixing to change.

I'm only familiar with PGE

I must be the minority here at 28 years old. I do have more gray hair than colored hair though...

To add my info about this threads topic, my solar array will be finished installed tomorrow. 11kw DC connected to a Sol Ark 12k. 20 year loan, and by my calculations it should pay for itself in 7 years. Obviously its going to be more with any repairs/upgrades and batteries i add, but id say thats not bad for me. Im actually planning on less time if electric rates continue to rise as fast as they have been...

I am of a similar age so that makes at least 3 of us

 

[32 volt boater]

On boats solar pays for itself. Diesel being 5-8 dollars a gallon at the fuel dock. The generator itself costing like a new car. Maintenance.

 

[Scott SD]

Let me start at stating my age….46 years young.

In my case, my solar array and batteries will payback in 5 years. Mine was not DIY, it cost $56k, but I received rebates of about $35k. SDGE cranked up the rates and converted customers to TOU at the beginning of this year, I think we have the highest rates in the nation. I needed to replace a woos patio cover and built a solar pergola, no panels on my roof. It is almost 9kw and has 2 Powerwalls, even in peak summer I almost 100% self powered. In my case, it was a great decision and I don’t have to worry about power outages. Next is a 1.4kw DIY system for my trailer that will also charge my wife’s plug-in hybrid.

 

[JRH]

My dad said that about my generation. I’m 60

Compared to his generation he was right… and on the average skills they possessed, he still is….

 

[JRH]

The thing is. It’s is viable now.
Why are us old guys only one doing it?
Money? Time? Experience?

Maybe the younger people are just paying someone to do it for them.

I don’t know..

Having owened a music store for decades in a collage town, I can tell you why ..in the last 20 years they haven’t had to do a damn thing except show up for life.…and still be breathing… everything has been given with little or no cost… no consequences for anything, I have personally witnessed this change in the last 25 years with major shift in the last 10 years… the last 5 years defies logic..

 

[OzSolar]

On boats solar pays for itself. Diesel being 5-8 dollars a gallon at the fuel dock. The generator itself costing like a new car. Maintenance.

The last time I heard KWH's from diesel generators were at least $1 when you added everything in. Clearly very cost effective there.

 

[Zwy]

My wife was born on December 22nd which on many years is the the winter solstice. Oh the irony of her being married to a solar guy.

My daughter shares that birthday.

 

[Danke]

 

[Nobodybusiness]

View attachment 109265

.315 euro per KWH wholesale if my math is right.

If operating cost is twice generation / Purchase cost then consumers are paying .63 Euro per KWH..

 

[LittleLebowski]

It's not quite accurate but close enough to show our progress (Aussie pesos).

I miss Ozs and their knack for language, had great time in your country visiting as a US Marine. Carry on with the great thread.

 

[niktak11]

View attachment 109265

Wow I'm feeling good about my $37.63/MWh off peak rates

 

[Danke]

.315 euro per KWH wholesale if my math is right.

If operating cost is twice generation / Purchase cost then consumers are paying .63 Euro per KWH..

I think I read it is cheaper there now to buy gas than charge an EV.

 

[Bobert]

For a boondocking rv Compared to the cost of running a generator I figure it takes about 200 days to pay back not including maintenance costs and the time and fuel used to get the fuel for the generator.