Yes, indeed. In fact, I have several customers who couldn't get below $35K+ - just so they could pay the utility for all future power. Solar modules (panels) are downright cheap compared to the past, so good designers are "over paneling" in order to improve output under marginal conditions.

When going off grid, it is important to set aside funds for future repair/replacement. One thing not often discussed is the impact on "salability" of a home with no grid connection.

Marc

I believe in capitalism ========== IF solar worked every builder would be putting it on every house they built. None of them are.

Agree on the builder install. I think it will get there some day, it's just the ROI, it's hard for me to bite off on a 15+year return. Solar technology will likely surpass today's technology in 5 years and then you'll have an antiquated system that needs replaced...with 10+ more years to pay on it. That said I'm thankful some do choose to be early adopters of technology, otherwise technology would not progress as fast.

Yep....and every commercial building with a flat roof would have them as well. You know it's not a good deal when even those who can write off 100% of the cost don't do it.

What's it's worth when the lights go out? Daddy my batteries are dying, again.......

There's lot of stuff that works that builders don't use because the payback is further out and doesn't allow them to advertise low pricing if they put something in the house that won't pay back for 5 years.

That said, the payoff on solar is basically never at this point. I'm an engineer and looked into it a few years ago. Our energy bill is normally around $150-$250. Sure a $20 bill would be nice, but if I'm paying $30k to save $200 a month and I look at what I could have made investing that money instead, it starts to make very little sense. It also becomes an even worse calculation when you realize you have to replace the banks every 10 years or so and at some point, the panels will begin to become less efficient also.

Indeed. What's it worth when you can't keep your insulin at a safe temperature, or use your CPAP or oxygen generator, etc. Do a fuel calculation and see how long your generator will run.

Years ago, most off grid type solar systems were driven by the super high cost of getting grid power out to remote locations. Now, concerns over losing grid power for more than a few days is driving large a large number of standalone solar installations. None of the battery based systems are chosen for cost savings. The existence of Jackery type systems should tell you something. (Unfortunately, they don't produce nearly enough power for most people's longer term needs.)

Keep in mind that MOST commercial and residential systems that you see, cannot produce power when the utility power is down and batteries cannot be added.

I have several customers with spare solar system components in shielded storage in case of a Carrington type event or something more nefarious. More and more people are becoming aware of just how fragile a lot of our power infrastructure really is. Some are spending big $$ on a powerful trailer mounted solar rig to haul out to their remote property if/when things get ugly.

Marc

It’s kind of funny in a way. A lot of the folks on here talking about ROI and cost effectiveness while spending untold thousands of dollars in the pursuit of deer meat. You aren’t saving money on meat vs. buying meat at the grocery store.

People sometimes do things because they want to, not because it is cost effective. Sometimes it’s about taking back control of your life vs. relying on big monopolistic service providers who can now, thanks to smart meters, cut off your power from wherever they choose. No need to actually send someone out any more to do their dirty work. Being self sufficient and independent is not a bad idea in many cases. If the grid goes down, you’ll have power. If the grocery store loses power, you won’t be buying any meat there so being able to procure your own has merit.

People lived for thousands of years without electricity. If the electric grid goes out, that will be the least of my concerns. We ran a few things off a generator during snow-maggedon in 2020. Worked fine until power came back. Now we moved to a new house with a wood burning stove and are even more prepared in the event of an outage.

Day to day reliance on an electrical grid? Sure, spend money on that. Hope you're also not dependent on water systems, cell network, internet service, etc. - or are the folks buying solar to be independent creating their own ISP and cell network also?

My thought exactly. Being a finance guy looking at the payback solar panels are just not worth it. When I was working for a large company and submitting project requests we had a 3 year rule for most projects and 5 years for utility projects. Another consideration with solar panels is your age. They won't do you any good if they don't pay back before you die.