Does Solar Pay for Itself? Is it worth it?

[mvonw]

On the other hand, DIY types are becoming a rare breed. Many young people can't change a tire, much less build a solar power system. The average age here is probably 60.

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

 

[BentleyJ]

The useful life of a solar panel is far longer than 20 years. The twenty year life issue for commercial purposes like a lease is an accounting assumption rather than a real world issue.

You are correct that the 20 year assumed life expectancy of solar panels is somewhat arbitrary since they can continue to produce useful power after the payments have ended. What I didn't mention in the original post is that for some inexplicable reason the lease specifically states that the panels will not be offered for sale to the homeowner. I have no idea why they would have this type of clause in the lease which would obligate them to send out a crew and remove a functional, but valueless to the secondary market, system at their expense.
Even if Tesla did offer the system to us after the next 8 years I would definitely NOT be willing to pay for it and if given for free I would probably replace the panels and inverter anyway.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

D

Wow, it's been quite a while since I was on the low end of the average age of a group. lol

Damn I feel old now..

 

[timselectric]

D

Damn I feel old now..

I guess that I'm just a young sprite, at 55. lol

 

[Zwy]

I guess that I'm just a young sprite, at 55. lol

I'm not quite 56 yet. LOL

 

[Goboatingnow]

What

I've noticed. I take it as a positive sign that people are finally waking up to the reality of not being able to rely on the "system" which was created to steal wealth not promote freedom and prosperity of the people.

what system, you don’t mean the grid. Even with recent price increases in electricity , and note that new pv installs have gone up in price as around me labour rates and business costs are rising sharply, the PV payback still hovers around 10 years or more. My grid connection is extremely reliable , a few hours outages over the last 8 years.

Why tie up 10k or more ( I’m a 52 north , so I need a big battery and or grid tied with FIT ) I can’t DIY cause I can’t certify the pv install and therefore can grid tie it.

Maybe things will change , I suspect energy costs are stabilising , fuel has decreased by 15% at the pumps in the last two months.

Sure I could diy a fantastic system , but I can’t get the gov grant , not get FIT with a diy

So given I’ve never held onto houses for more then 20 years , I’m on my forth , and there’s probably one more in me , a Pv install just gives the purchaser a “ freebie “

 

[timselectric]

I'm not quite 56 yet. LOL

56 next month, for me.

 

[Zwy]

56 next month, for me.

Not until late December for me. 2 days before Christmas.

Don't ask about birthdays around Christmas.

 

[timselectric]

Not until late December for me. 2 days before Christmas.

Don't ask about birthdays around Christmas.

I know, I have twin sisters born on December 30th. lol

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I guess that I'm just a young sprite, at 55. lol

Only 10 years older than you. Must be the mileage…still the guy was right most of us are older..

 

[MrThisIsME]

I might be the oddball here. I never do any math, never look at the savings / costs. I did for a while and it made my head hurt. 25kw ground base. I just smile at my panels and think I am net free.

Plus all the hot chics come over when the power is out.

 

[timselectric]

Only 10 years older than you. Must be the mileage…still the guy was right most of us are older..

True
But it's not our fault that solar took this long to be cost effective. I've been waiting for 30 years. lol

 

[Risky Rob]

True
But it's not our fault that solar took this long to be cost effective. I've been waiting for 30 years. lol

It took me 30 years to buy all these tools.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

True
But it's not our fault that solar took this long to be cost effective. I've been waiting for 30 years. lol

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..

 

[timselectric]

Each generation is less likely to get their hands dirty.

 

[mvonw]

When I grew up, I built furniture and repaired spinning wheels to pay for college. I was always making something. My father was a physicist, but he worked with his hands when he wasn’t making nuclear artillery shells. At least I didn’t carry on in that tradition..

 

[MrThisIsME]

Each generation is less likely to get their hands dirty.

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.

 

[OzSolar]

I know, I have twin sisters born on December 30th. lol

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.

 

[OzSolar]

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. Dare I say that the utilities are actually planning to confuse you with a barrage of different rate structure in an effort to make sure you chose the worst rate for 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...

 

[Danke]

Each generation is less likely to get their hands dirty.

I have oodles of tools. But my 11 year old nephew who lives next door never shows any interest in whatever I am working on or using the tools himself.