4 Year Update - Are Solar Panels for Home Still Worth It?

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[PhoenixFit]

I’ve had solar for almost 10 years. I live in Phoenix where the electricity bills are HUGE due to the extreme high temps. Summary - I’ve never had a bill over $15 a month, all of which are fees. This includes one electric car that we charge at home. By far getting solar was the BEST financial decision I made when I first bought my house. And now with gas at $5 a gallon…I’m killing it. Everything has already paid for itself - it’s all investment income at this point.

[darrylbuckett]

One benefit from solar panels that no one seems to talk about is, in summer the actual panels block the sun from heating up the roof, therefore reduced cooling needed. Both my son and I have noticed this difference, which here in West Australia is important. Cheers

[tiboreeb]

As to how long solar panels work reliably: my godfather was one of the first guys in germany who got a Photovoltaik system in 1991. Siemens 55W monocrystaline panels. They still work today and deliver around 75% of their rated power despite NEVER having been cleaned in these 31 years. And yes, we are talking about superold panels, todays will perform much better in 30 years.

[aarons]

Another thing you need to take into account in the summer. The sun is beating down on your panels NOT your roof !! There is a 2 inch or so air gap in there, so it keeps your attic air much cooler, meaning a lot less power needed to keep your house cool.

[FutureSystem]

We have had solar for twelve years here in Australia 🇦🇺, and my panels (despite being very expensive by today’s standards) have paid for themselves many times over. It was the best investment ever.

[MrTechnicks]

Captain here. Been in the industry for a long while now (10+ years). Your warranty only applies as long as the company that installs them is still in business. Many of these companies purposely go out of business and rebrand for this exact reason. Whether this is universal or some exceptions, you have to absolutely make sure the company you are going with has been in business for many years. An easy way to tell if you are going to get scammed is if the deal is too good to be true. Do your research into these companies before you commit to anything.

[KyleWyattOnGoogle]

This is so validating. I work for a solar installer and you literally hit on *every* point I discuss when I’m talking about the value of solar. Thank you!

[guygrotke]

I actually designed, got permitted, and built my own 5 Kw ground-mount system. The hardest part of that was digging the holes for the concrete foundation, but renting a mini-excavator from Home Depot took care of that. My only hired help was having a concrete pump contractor come in, but that was not bad because I held the hose and filled the forms. This stuff is pretty simple, and there is a lot of information available on YouTube. Our result? The electric company has owed me money every year since I put it in.

[GCSol]

When I first moved to Georgia I told my realtor I wanted a house with no trees because I wanted to install solar. The first five houses he showed me were in the woods. I repeated what I wanted and he said "No one uses solar anymore". I got a new realtor who found me a house free of trees. I installed solar the first year and have loved it. It fluctuates a little but I typically produce 70% of my electricity needs. The previous owner said her electric bills averaged $210. In four years with solar my highest bill has been $47 and lowest $9.

[annavariumful]

Half way through 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. A 42 panel, 13.2kW solar system, with a 12 kWh battery back up for sun power at night, a Heat-pump for cheap hot water, and an i-MiEV EV to drive around in, free from the sun. We no longer pay $2000 a year for power. We no longer spend $2500 a year for gas to drive a car around. We actually get paid $2000 a year from the power company for the excess energy we export to the grid. A $6500 positive benefit per year, from our $16 500 AUD Solar / battery system. That's a pretty quick pay back. It's a win, win, win!

[briannewton]

We installed a solar grid in late 2019 and the production has been tremendous. We have a payoff period of 4-1/2 years and that still appears to be the case. And the transferable guarantee on the grid is 25 years. That in itself increased the value of our home. Combining that with the high cost of electricity in Southern California and one arrives at the obvious conclusion that solar is one of the best investments a homeowner can make. So, Go Solar! IMHO

[billyreinhardt]

We’ve decided to go with a 12.4KWatt system. We were glad to hear that the 26% tax credit increases last week to 30% for the next 10 years. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge of going Solar.

[DTXGaming]

I've DYI-ed a 3.3 kWh off-grid system complete with LiFePO4 batteries in 2020 and was so impressed with it's performance that I decided to up to 20 kWh this year. Still in the process of installing, but the system already includes an off-grid inverter, since I am keeping my existing 30 kWh batteries, with an on-grid inverter also being added. The upgrade is worth about 15k US and should pay for itself in about 5.5-6 years, if all goes well. But that's not the main point, because as you said, being energy-independent is amazing.

[davidkendall]

I am 10 years in on our 2012 13.2 kWh solar PV system and have been certified as being a net-zero energy building in 2016 by the International Living Future Institute and our panels were fully paid off after 7 years with Net metering incentives in Washington State. We also have two Powerwall-2 batteries to supplement our system and we have been exceptionally satisfied with our solar+battery system and would do it again in a heartbeat. We also charge our two EVs off our roof and have been net zero for last 10 years producing more electricity than we use for our all electric home.

[DeliverQuality]

As a long time solar consultant, you did an amazing job explaining this. Thanks for helping people see the value of solar!

[Greywolfgrafix]

I know a guy here in middle Tennessee who is a retired engineer from Arnold Engineering & Development Center / Arnold AFB, who built his own solar panel for his house over 30 years ago. It's still going strong.

[bobbiebrandel]

I really enjoy watching your progress with solar; very informative. We are on our second year of solar and are very happy with production. That being said, you will notice a difference in production due to weather trends. This is to be expected. We've had a very wet, very cold spring in comparison to last year, and it shows in the numbers. Do we still believe it is worth it? You bet! We are adding 4 more panels to our west side of house.

[andrewfrazier]

Absolutely worth it. 6 years of solar. Best decision.My bill was 35$ this month

[bklyncyclist]

I installed panels on my 172 degrees to south roof that is angled at 37degrees here in Brooklyn, with no trees either. This is almost perfect alignment for solar panels and the reps were all astounded at how perfect it was with a 96% efficiency rating and since were so perfect we only needed 17 panels to get to 100+% of usage. Since they were turned on in April I haven't seen any electric usage from the grid, most goes the other way. The payback period for me is around 5 years after the NYS incentives. I also own a model 3 and now charge exclusively at home rather than at the supercharger. It was really a no-brainer to go ahead with the project once it was all presented and verified by an outside expert that I know. My neighbors all want to do it but they all face the issue of where their roofs face, none are like mine.

[velorambler]

I installed my own solar system. We have had below $100 in electric bill, and last year they owed us. It has been one of the best investiments I've ever made.