GeneralDisturbed t1_j1mibx4 wrote on December 25, 2022 at 4:53 PM

I'm a new homeowner who looked into solar. I primarily wanted Solar not for savings, but so I had a secure source of power should our electrical service fail, as we are in a fail prone area.

A base system would be 50k dollars. That is just panels and inverter installed. That does not include the cost of a battery backup. And also the panels would not produce enough power to fully offset my electric bill.

So for 50k dollars I would still have to pay my electric bill every month, reduced by some unknown amount. Plus the loan for the solar panels every month. Plus I would still be 100% dependent on the local power grid.

I took a few thousand of the money I would have wasted on solar and invested in a natural gas generator instead and tied it into my natural gas line.

Assuming solar ever became reasonably priced in the future I might consider it again. But right now as a homeowner I see no reason whatsoever to invest in solar. It's incredibly expensive, and still leaves me utterly dependent on my local power grid and still having to pay an electric bill to the electric company. What's the point?

MilkshakeBoy78 t1_j1mltx5 wrote on December 25, 2022 at 5:21 PM

> A base system would be 50k dollars. That is just panels and inverter installed.

how much is hardware? isn't like 30-35k of that 50k is labor and commissions?

series_hybrid t1_j1mpwk1 wrote on December 25, 2022 at 5:53 PM

I'd look into a starter system with a battery, and inverter, along with the power switch between grid and battery. This way, when there is a power outage, the battery can run basic features in your home.

Later, you can add a generator, and after that, you can add solar panels. The size of the battery can also be expanded along with the number of solar panels.

robot_tom t1_j1mteaz wrote on December 25, 2022 at 6:21 PM

>What's the point?

You've completely missed it, apparently. Why do you need 100% offset? The grid is your battery, anyway, so you'll still have to pay a connection fee.

I've got 66% 'offset' from my system, and I'm glad of that. It's diminishing returns at larger sizes, anyway. It'll pay back in 8 years, and give me a return for the following 13+ years.

What was the payback on your last car purchase?

GeneralDisturbed t1_j1nfa8c wrote on December 25, 2022 at 9:11 PM

Seems pointless to lock myself into a 30 year payment for a 50k dollar system that requires I still pay my normal electric bill with no benefits whatsoever beyond "A slightly less electric bill that is completely offset by 30 years of payments."

I'm still paying an electric bill, still reliant on the electric grid for having power. If the power grid in my area fails I'm still completely in the dark.

I see no reason for me to lock myself into a 30 year contract for a 50k dollar system that theoretically will give me a benefit in 30 years assuming the system still works. As I said, if solar becomes cheaper and more accessible I wouldn't be opposed to installing a system. But right now it is incredibly expensive, and gives me nothing of value out of adding it to my home.