Solar power, is it worth it?

Question

I don't care about the upfront investment, I just don't want that to outrun the savings over the lifetime of the pannels. pannels last 30ish years, batteries last 7ish years, I did the math and it came out real close, how does it work out in your calculators and far as cost and return on investment?

Answer 1

Panels may "last" 25-30 years but they loose efficiency over time. Last I read was 10% per year in the hottest climes. You should figure that into a return on investment.  You also need to figure in the cost to convert your home to run on batteries. If you are building a new home the cost to convert the appliances will not need to be figured.  If you convert to gas appliances you will have to figure that in also. They cost more than electric generally.  Also your whole life style will have to change. High power equipment will have to go.

A great link below

Answer 2

It depends entirely on:

How much you currently pay for electricity.  Paybacks will vary depending on your electricity costs.   Be sure NOT to include the cost of any "service charges" in your cost of electricity.  You will pay those regardless of how much or how little electricity you use.

What sort of incentives you qualify for.  Some states have excellent tax incentive packages that will refund you thousands of dollars if you install a solar system.  Other states offer nothing.  The federal government also offers a tax incentive for systems installed up until the end of 2008.

What sort of "net metering" rules your utility offers.  Some utilities offer you the option of effectively running your utility meter backwards.  Any electricity that you don't use on a sunny day can be used on a cloudy day at your retail rate.  Other utilities only pay a wholesale electric rate for excess electricity that is generated, which is much less than what you ordinariy pay.

You're right that panels should last 25+ years.  Most panels offer a performance guarantee up to 25 years.  You will also need to figure on replacing your inverter(s) every 10 years or so.

For details on incentive, check out the web site below.  It also has some great data on net metering.

Based on what I know, your calculations sound reasonable.  My calculations usually come out "real close" - sometimes the math works out, sometimes it doesn't.

Good question.

Answer 3

yeah I figure about the same if nothing out of the ordinary happens. The only real gain is if the area is without power for a couple days or more and you can still run your house on solar. But keep in mind storms usually cause outages and clouds are part of storms and they tend to reduce collection as they always seem to hang around for a couple days after.

Answer 4

if you are in the country and have to run electrical lines and poles to your home being self sufficient with solar and wind is worth it,if you are in the city with the power lines at your door step these power sources are not

Answer 5

If you have the space, correct sunlight, and starting finances, solar power can be great. The main problem is, even with these resources, is getting the power to the place that needs it. The people who usually support solar energy are also the ones who oppose above ground power lines to get the power to cities (building underground service lines is very expensive and would dramatically increase power bills). If you don't want above ground power lines, you need to have power plants. So the real dilemma is not whether solar power is good or not, but really how you get the energy to the people who need it.

Answer 6

I don't think it is worth it but preheating your hot water with a solar heater will pay for itself in less than two years and require little or no maintenance.