Are solar panels worth it?

[Cptblamo]

I have built in rodent deterrents. Since I switched from a metal roof to an asphalt roof last year, my cats are always on the roof. I'll hear something and look up and see cat heads peaking in at me from the skylights. Only down side is one of the cats has now caught two bats up there and brought them inside. Luckily dead. Unfortunately they like to bring in live chipmunks and then set them free in the house so they can play with them. Kinda weird how they kill the birds, bats, mice and bunnies, but not the chipmunks. Half the time it's the dogs that end up killing the chipmunks.

Having cats to keep pests out is good. My house doesnt have easy access to the roof so now I have a wire net around the entire system. Along with spikes and reflectors.

 

[Ty520]

As someone in the industry, i will give out this warning:

Many companies provide a 30 year financing plan ...

...but, on average, panels today will crap out in 25 years.

so you will probably still owe on them after they (typically) stop working

 

[Bilsch]

As someone in the industry, i will give out this warning:
Many companies provide a 30 year financing plan ...
...but, on average, panels today will crap out in 25 years.
so you will probably still owe on them after they (typically) stop working

In 25 years.. do you think it's going to matter much?

 

[Ty520]

In 25 years.. do you think it's going to matter much?
View attachment 690941View attachment 690941

This data is from peak subsidization - the average in 2019 was $2.53

There is also growing disruption in rare earth mining, which will probably drive cost up too.

regardless of price, if your finance period exceeds lifespan, there cannot be any ROI. if you are going to get them, contract for a 20 year finance term or less, unless you can buy them outright

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

From what I've been told and read... nope. Similar to high efficiency (anything) we never recover anywhere near the cost we are told to waste our money. Also, these, in my experience, high efficiency items are sensitive and need constant repairs. Give me the furnace my Father had in our house growing up. Was probably 5% efficient. Lasted over 40 years without any problems. In the early 2010's I get a high efficiency furnace/AC installed. Nothing but problems.

 

[Bilsch]

This data is from peak subsidization - the average in 2019 was $2.53
There is also growing disruption in rare earth mining, which will probably drive cost up too.
regardless of price, if your finance period exceeds lifespan, there cannot be any ROI. if you are going to get them, contract for a 20 year finance term or less, unless you can buy them outright

The point is the curve. It has been going down and continues to do so. The array I put in in 2019 cost 1/4 as much as the one I installed in 2009. It's cheap and getting cheaper. Sure if you over pay on your installation or get crappy financing then you will lose money. I believe that is true for anything you buy, not just solar. At today's rates and solar cost it should take an average of 7 to 9 years to payoff.

By the way, there are no rare earths in solar panels. They are made from Silicon, glass and aluminum. Cheap as dirt.

 

[Randar]

From what I've been told and read... nope. Similar to high efficiency (anything) we never recover anywhere near the cost we are told to waste our money. Also, these, in my experience, high efficiency items are sensitive and need constant repairs. Give me the furnace my Father had in our house growing up. Was probably 5% efficient. Lasted over 40 years without any problems. In the early 2010's I get a high efficiency furnace/AC installed. Nothing but problems.

Literally could not be further from the truth aside from the "get off my lawn" feels.

 

[Oldpaddy]

From what I've been told and read... nope. Similar to high efficiency (anything) we never recover anywhere near the cost we are told to waste our money. Also, these, in my experience, high efficiency items are sensitive and need constant repairs. Give me the furnace my Father had in our house growing up. Was probably 5% efficient. Lasted over 40 years without any problems. In the early 2010's I get a high efficiency furnace/AC installed. Nothing but problems.

There's some truth to this, but I think it's from government regulation, corporate greed and the garbage we get sent from other countries. The government took away the good refrigerant from the market which in turn has made our ac's and fridges suck compared to the stuff our parents and grandparents grew up with. Corporations are always chasing the cheapest way to make things. And between the corporations thirst for cheaper production and the government's thirst for globalization, almost all of our production has moved past our borders. More things are being assembled in the usa recently than they have in years, but the pre assembled parts are coming from other countries. And as we all know, very few countries produce quality like the good 'ol US of A. The other side of the coin is we get stuff a lot cheaper now. Then again, we are also replacing it a lot quicker.

 

[Oldpaddy]

As someone in the industry, i will give out this warning:

Many companies provide a 30 year financing plan ...

...but, on average, panels today will crap out in 25 years.

so you will probably still owe on them after they (typically) stop working

We'd probably use a home equity loan over financing from any of the companies I've talked to.
Any recommendations as to which panel manufacturer? I've got two bids that use hanwha panels, one that uses LG and one that uses sunpower. Though the sunpower guy gave me a stab in the dark number of $60k. The other ones were $40-53k.

 

[NeoBrew]

Looks like it's time to put your money where your mouth is. I can tell by some of your references you are an old school 'Murica guy. All three of those panels are made in Asia. If you really miss things being manufactured in the USA, you should do the absolute best thing you can do to support businesses here. Buy American, even if it costs more.

https://news.energysage.com/u-s-solar-panel-manufacturers-list-american-made-solar-panels/

 

[Oldpaddy]

Looks like it's time to put your money where your mouth is. I can tell by some of your references you are an old school 'Murica guy. All three of those panels are made in Asia. If you really miss things being manufactured in the USA, you should do the absolute best thing you can do to support businesses here. Buy American, even if it costs more.

https://news.energysage.com/u-s-solar-panel-manufacturers-list-american-made-solar-panels/

Yup. I was looking into that the other day. There's not much to choose from. A lot of these panels, and other goods, are assembled in the usa, but not actually made in the usa. It's sad.
I'm doing some work around my house, but will look at that list later and see if I can find an actual made in the usa product. Back in the winter I purposely bought more expensive goodyear tires for my expy because they're made in the us by a us owned company. So I do try to live by my moral code. Unfortunately that's not always possible.

 

[kestrelbrewing]

You don't have an issue with humidity? I live close to the water and humidity becomes a problem. Sometimes I have to turn the ac on even when it's not too hot out because the moisture becomes too much and my brick floor starts bleeding. Also, most summers here we have very little wind unless you live on the waters edge. It's funny because from october through june we have strong winds. We get hurricane type gusts during the winter. I remember a tourist opening up his house one spring and he was shocked when he checked his weather station and saw how hard the wind blows here during the winter.

Don't forget that San Diego, while on the coast, is essentially desert climate …

People here think that 60% humidity is ridiculous. I moved here from DC where the humidity feels like it runs about 300% from July- mid Sept. Add in the fact that people here don full on parkas if the temperature dips below 65º and act like they are about to die from heat stroke if it breaks 85º and I'm worried that at some point I'm going to need surgery after an excessive eye roll one of these days.

 

[Oldpaddy]

Don't forget that San Diego, while on the coast, is essentially desert climate …

People here think that 60% humidity is ridiculous. I moved here from DC where the humidity feels like it runs about 300% from July- mid Sept. Add in the fact that people here don full on parkas if the temperature dips below 65º and act like they are about to die from heat stroke if it breaks 85º and I'm worried that at some point I'm going to need surgery after an excessive eye roll one of these days.

What a bunch of sissies.

 

[Oldpaddy]

Whoops. Double post.

 

[kestrelbrewing]

What a bunch of sissies.

It's a question of conditioning: if you have lived your entire life within the range of 65-80º and around 50% humidity consistently for 335 days of every year of your life, you have no perspective of how different things can be. Another argument for the benefits of travel: it can make you appreciate what you've got …

 

[Randar]

Remember, any prices these guys are giving you, are up for negotiation. I was able to negotiate my prices down by almost 20% from initial bids. Pick the repuatable contractors, preferably with their own crews and not guys who will sub out the work, and then play them against each other till you have the winner.

 

[ricardos]

I've decided to install a solar panel at my house. I think yes. It's worth it. Suggest reading this review websolarguide.com/best-solar-inverter-brands/ about solar.