Solar Panels After 1 Year: Are They Worth It?

1 year ago I got 20 solar panels installed on my house in palm springs, and now we can see if it was worth it!

Twitter: @shelbychurch
Snapchat: shelbychurch

Use my referral link to purchase a Tesla product and get up to $1,000 off:

What Equipment I Use:

[vemm]

I am an Electrical & Mechanical Engineer in Canada and you did an amazing presentation! Very clear and easy to understand.

[AparnaJain]

I live in Hawaii. We have 42 solar panels and a tesla wall. It’s quite helpful with the super expensive electricity here. They also buy back at a fraction of the cost that they sell it for. Without solar, our bill would be $700 a month. With solar, it’s closer to $150-$250. We run acs, heat hot tub and charge our electric car.
So yes, for Hawaii definitely worth it.

[markdragovan]

If you have room on your roof, and the inverter can handle it,
add a few more panels to lower your total electricity costs. Another benefit
I noticed is the room below where the panels are installed dramatically dropped
in temperature.

[ericnelson]

We live in Minnesota and installed solar the month after we moved in. At the same time we installed energy monitoring and focused on conservation as well.

Family of 4, 2, 500 sq ft house with pool that is open 5 months of the year. Heat and hot water are natural gas. System is 5.75 kw.

Year 1, we used .2 MWh more than produced. Last year we produced 1.8 MWh more than consumed and production went down.

Largest change was switching out pool pumps to a more efficient unit and attacking phantom loads.

For the first 10 years, REC’s can be sold to the utility provider. Including the REC check and credit for energy produced, we make about $750/ yr and have a payback of 7 yrs.

The cheapest kWh is the one not consumed, so there is a benefit to focusing on conservation.

[mosconi]

I really enjoy your reviews. They are always very informative and the way you explain things is so straightforward and easy to understand. I also notice that many of your topics cover things that I myself have experienced so I know that what you are saying is the truth. So many reviewers don't have "a dog in the fight" but you always do. Thanks for being such a great resource for folks considering solar or even driving EVs. Love your stuff!

[Sam-mcdk]

I live in southern california, Orange County specifically and I've had solar for about 6 years. Solar definitely helps with the bill but if feels like the electric company does everything they can to try and pay you the least for the energy you sell back to them. When I first had solar 6 years ago, the electric company paid me much more for my generated energy but it seems like through the years the rate they paid me has become less and less. I am glad I had solar installed because I can use as much energy as I want and since I have solar my bill really is not impacted much. So I would recommend solar. Nice video Shelby.

[StephenOshea]

i appreciate how honest you are in explaining the true costs of solar systems and the savings

[justwordme]

What you really need is a solar pool heater. Even if it’s just black hose laid on the roof and a small cheap pump.

[FrankSD]

Thanks! I had my solar installed in time for NEM2 and I’ve never figured out why I’m not getting more back from the electricity I generate. Of course SDGE doesn’t exactly proclaim the bit about super-off-peak paybacks. Still glad I have it but. . .anyway, thanks for the explanation and excellent overview.

[TheWizardKs]

That's much better than I expected. Looks like they have really improved the panels over the years. Thanks for the video.

[OcRefrig]

Great video !
Shelby, i Would recommend Cleaning the Condenser of the Airconditioning unit EVERY YEAR in Palm springs. Palm springs is a sand box & that fine sand plugs up those carrier condensers creating a Less Efficient unit & can double Your airconditioning bill or more. also Shortens a/c unit Life drastically. ( Condenser is the Heat exchanger part of the unit on the roof / the Finned aluminum-copper. section that the fan draws air through )
I Would recommend Making sure your air conditioning is in tip top condition every year in Palm springs since it's a Huge part of Palm springs life & can have a Major Negative Effect on your electricity ⚡️ bill.
Tips for saving money on A/c unit Electricity ---
1) Blow Condenser backwards on the roof, Blowing the sand out of the Condenser coil with a High pressure Co2 Bottle & Hose.
2) Check Run Capacitor Micro farads - every year.
3) Replace Air Filter - Every year at a Minimum. probably more being palm springs. maybe every 3 months in palm springs. never let air filter get more than 50% blocked 🚫. every % of blockage = % of more electricity used.
Check T/d on unit. This can be done by you anytime also. check temperature difference between the Air going in the Return vs the Air coming out of the Supply Air vents. ( Basically room temp vs air coming out temp.) should be 18-25 degrees. 20 degrees being the Norm. 15 or less being unit needs serviced.
Service the Airconditioning unit on the roof right BEFORE the Summer to optimise savings. Jan, Feb or march. recommended.

Shelby - Here's a Video idea for You - More efficient air Conditioning system ? is it worth it ?

install awnings on the Doors - to reduce heat load.

Tint the Windows - to Reduce Heat load.

Give me a shout out in one of your videos if you use any of my ideas.
thanks.
take care.
Oc.

[jeannine]

We’ve had solar for 7 years and we generally pay $0. Summer is typically around $15. CA beach city.

[ricklichau]

I live in northern California and am completely off-grid w/ diesel generator backup for cloudy days. 27 years and counting. I have a 2200 sf house w/ modern appliances like: dishwasher, trash compactor, washer and dryer. Solar array is 12-150 watt panels w/ 1000 amp-hr battery bank. Works great!

[YTSparty]

Shelby, you are THE ideal situation to get solar. Getting full payback on unused solar is amazing. No need for a battery at all which can be expensive . Having expensive utility electricity is another reason to get solar. When you live in an area where grid electricity really isn't that expensive, solar will prove hard to get your money back. And using a lot of electricity makes solar ideal.

[KittyKarenpoo]

I did this, this year. 12 panels installed with all the associated stuff, at $15, 000. Tax credit is $4500, so total cost $10, 500. All summer long I sell amps to the electric company, building up credits and helping the grid during peak air conditioning times. Those credits buy down over the winter. If we are lucky, I only see a bill around February. If this saves you only $100 per month, the payback is just under 9 years. If you live in Florida, this is a complete no brainer because you are seeing huge electric bills and you have huge sun. That's a win/win. It's almost impossible to imagine not enjoying a payback within four years.
As for payment options, the only thing that makes sense is cash. Now, that cash might be a loan you go to your own bank to acquire, but DO NOT bite on the finance options by solar providers. They can make more money on that then the installation.

[joshuatran]

Over the years you have to factor in the cost of maintaining the system (repairing and replacing) and also the declining efficiency of the system plus the variable weather. Love the bricks used to hold down the panels.

[Tryp-jd]

It is TOTALLY USELESS to tell us how much the total bill is WITHOUT telling us HOW MANY Kwh were consumed!!!

[gbfraser]

That's a great hands-on video about whether or not it is economical for an individual to put in solar on his or her house. Thanks so much!

[tomkunhardt]

Well done! I have trained over 200 people how to sell solar remotely and you have put together an honest, accurate, and thorough portrayal of the customer experience. You even factored in California's NEM 2.0 and NEM 3.0. I would have the sales team watch and learn!

[victoriagillerlain]

I've been waiting for this video for literally a year since you first installed them!!! So excited to watch :))