Awesome. I'd just add the certainty of energy provider charges/rates rising, as they've always done. So despite output of a system slowly degrading over 2.5 decades, each kW becomes more valuable. Offset amount will vary, of course. Def don't kick yourself over hindsight when there's no sure-thing to be learned from. It could have just as easily gone bust.

@Challenged1

2 жыл бұрын

Since my solar system went live 4 years ago, the electrical rates have held steady. I may just be in an area that is an anomaly. I'm with you though, I think at some point they are going up. Regardless, the national average seems to go up every year.

The amount of time it takes to for the solar panels to "return" your money also depends on the size of the house because in this case bigger means better cause you can have more panels. So the surface area which the panels are placed its very important, therefore some people may be getting their income earlier

Good stuff! I like seeing the breakdown.

@Challenged1

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks

A great analysis; thanks!

80% production after 25 years is great. That means all it will take is a few new solar panels added to the array and your back up to 100% production.

@Challenged1

2 жыл бұрын

Very true

@atnstn

Жыл бұрын

Only if the Inverter can take the Amps. (Careful with the specifications).

@Royale_with_Cheeze

8 ай бұрын

If you need all of the initial 100% production, sounds like a plan, but if 80% production is still enough 25 years down the line, no need to do anything. I have had panels for 6 years now and I always overproduce in spring and summer. The credits I build up on my grid electricity account pay for the electricity I draw in fall and winter, and never get all used up. When my panels drop to 80% in some 17 years or so, that'll likely still be more than enough.

@stevew5212

8 ай бұрын

yep same here Royal. But now im thinking of more panels and an ev. That would be oh so nice to get rid of the gasoline bill for running my car. @@Royale_with_Cheeze

Nice. Thank you for solar info 🌞

Good analysis Garrett. I am in Qld, Australia and I have a 9,7kw PV grid tied system for about 18 months now, at a installed total of $4,500 Au probly the cheapest one could get at the time and so far it has been great. Without going into too greater specifics, I can tell you in the 1st 12 months we had 3 bills, $26, $6 & 6cents was the last, we didn’t have to pay anything as per our credits and after the first year we received a check for $280, so we put in another 2.5kw split ac for the kids. We dont use A-con a lot, but do have a 5kw & a 2.5kw also, so 10kw now all up. We went for a cheap option for different reasons, an older house and we may rebuild another on property, and partly curiosity to see if we do get our value from such a budget system. As a rough guess I believe we would normally us between $100-$150 power here a month, at $100/mth and the $280 we got back that is still nearly $1500 in the first year off a $4500 system. Yay, so far!

@Challenged1

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing. That's a great price for you system!!!

@DanielG0m3z

9 ай бұрын

Wow! I am in Melbourne and will get a 6.6kW system installed next week... I hope I get to save as much as you did! Cheers

So, finally! 25 KW grid tied system, DIY installed and operational first week of this month. Already generated 1.16 MwH, system cost was roughly 45K. The bills have been all over so I haven't calculated how long it will take to pay back. But I expect this property will be carbon negative to 2050, even with a plug-in electric vehicle or two. It's fun and almost hypnotizing to see the live power generation value near noon time. I was shocked to see peak power increase past the normal peak power time. Turns out there were bright clouds in the sky, but not blocking the disc of the Sun and it was increasing the output more than a cloudless day! That was a surprise. I estimate I was getting an extra 300 watts while the clouds are floating around. It's a 57 panel Enphase microinverter system on three roofs. The 86 ft long trench was a nice bit of exercise to dig...

Besides that with 20-20 hindsight, we can always find ways that would have been more profitable to invest money in, you leave out what is in my mind (and I am sure that goes for many others as well) at least as important. Having your own solar installation, with, if possible, a way to take the house off-grid in case of a power outage, gives peace of mind that at least the most important electrical loads can be done without dependence on the grid.

@agps4418

Жыл бұрын

That is true especially when electricity gets involved in politics 💀

My utility charges $58.75 per month in fixed charges and then only charges $.10 per kWh. Effectively this make the price per kWh very high for very efficient users and very low for very high electricity users. They are trying to disincentive conservation and increase electricity use.

@Royale_with_Cheeze

8 ай бұрын

That's not good at all for net metering customers. I have panels and am grid-tied, as most are, and my grid electric company charges every user $10 per month (up from $7. about a year ago), so the credit I get all through the spring and summer months is only reduced by $10. Your grid company would be taking $58.75 per month from your net metering credit, regardless of how much you're using. That sucks.

@fox156

8 ай бұрын

@@Royale_with_Cheeze yes well few have solar here. Its very difficult to "break even" since essentially we are pre paying to make the rate artificially low so the payback period would be exceptionally long.

@Royale_with_Cheeze

8 ай бұрын

@@fox156 If you don't have a good net metering program, best to have battery backup and go off grid altogether if you can. Charging 58.75 per month is outrageous. Do all grid customers pay that or is that for solar users? As I said, in MA, all customers pay $10. per month user fee. No real hardship.

@fox156

8 ай бұрын

@@Royale_with_Cheeze all users pay that flat service fee. What is your per kWh rate in MA with only $10 a month service charge?

@Royale_with_Cheeze

8 ай бұрын

@@fox156 I don't get bills any longer because I'm using solar, but as near as I can figure, and I factor in all costs for the entire bill and divide it by the kWh used, it's somewhere around 29 cents - all-in - factoring in that $10. user charge. MA is among the highest electric rates in the country. All the better reason to go solar. As my net metering credits goes, the higher the grid charges my neighbors, the higher they credit my account for what I send to them.

How much does cost to recycle solar panels when they get old?

Hail damage and buying Enron stock are risks, also in 5 years the panels will probably be better made, and the batteries are constantly improving. We just bought a battery powered weed trimmer and blower, our next battery powered device will probably be a lawn mower for our small yard.

@Royale_with_Cheeze

8 ай бұрын

Definitely buy a battery-operated mower. They're great for small yards. I have a gas-powered snow thrower and plan to keep it until it dies and my next one will be a beefy battery-operated machine.

People always want to talk about return of investments on these things like they're the stock market. How about the fact that: -You have electricity when your power grid goes down. -Access to the electronics that are powered by this grid. -Unlimited, pollution-free electricity for a decades. -Eases the strain on the power grid system. -Extra power can be given to the community. -Reduces dependence on foreign fuels. -Virtually no maintenance needed. -Can be installed virtually anywhere. -Safer than traditional electric current. -Efficiency is always improving. -Federal grants, tax incentives, and rebate programs help with initial cost.

@Challenged1

Жыл бұрын

Most grid-tie systems go down when the power grid goes down. Battery backup systems are required to be grid independent which far exceeds the cost of the solar.

@atnstn

Жыл бұрын

@@Challenged1 Absolutely. This as well as 10-ish small niggles installers NEVER tell you. There are drawbacks. Considerable ones, However it is economically feasible and solar for home usage is indeed a solid investment, especially when you DIY and build it yourself with solid products and careful installation.

Solar is called an "investment", its clearly not...Good video

@Royale_with_Cheeze

8 ай бұрын

Solar isn't necessarily an investment, as compared to putting money in the stock market for real returns, but it is a way to lower your electricity costs, so it saves you money in the long run. It is also an investment in the future of clean air. I went solar 6 years ago primarily for the green aspect. If I only broke even with regard to what it costs to go solar vs. staying with fossil-fueled electricity, I would've done it anyway. Turns out I will save a good amount of money over the long run. My system cost me just under $14K, all-in. Before going solar, my average electricity cost was around $1,200 per year. The more the grid electric rises, the quicker the system pays for itself. At this rate, my system will have paid for itself in roughly 12 years and the rest is pure guava. Free electricity after they pay themselves off and green energy. I call that an investment.

@isaachunt5799

Ай бұрын

it's a scam. that money invest over 20 years will make u far more than any electric you save. i know i ran a test with a work friend. he bought 23k of panels and i invest 23k into tech stocks. i made 10 times more than he saved on electric. they are a scam

@isaachunt5799

Ай бұрын

@@Royale_with_Cheeze it's a scam. my work friend bought 23k of solar panels and i invested 23k into tech stock. last 12 months he saved 900 usd on electric and i made 10k on investments. forget this waste of time. put that money into funds and watch the money grow.

Well there is also the chance the market could have crashed and you lose the investment. Solar is an investment that does have a yearly return but the investment basically has no risk. The size of that return depends on how well it is designed and how much it offsets the electric bill. In my case that return could be as high as $4000 a year.

@isaachunt5799

Ай бұрын

inverter can fail. many things can fail. over 10 years funds are 99.999% going to earn you way more than you will ever save on electric..i know i have done a real time test with this. forget panels invest in the technology market. i made 1000 usd on thursday alone.

@chrismaxny4066

Ай бұрын

@@isaachunt5799The panels aren't failing in fact year 1 return is $5454 so in less than 5 years the system has paid for itself and it'll keep producing. Yes those high risk investments in Technology sometimes work out but more often than not lose money and all gains are taxable. We have our investments but the solar is one of the safer ones.

@isaachunt5799

Ай бұрын

@@chrismaxny4066 loose money ? lol made 50% yearly so far profit. solar panels are a scam. i've proven that myself. not taxable here in sweden. i pay 1% fixed taxes. making around 1100 usd month up to now on 23k invested. solar panels would never pay that. my friends give his 70 usd month in electric on 23k. complete and utter waste of time

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