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It depends on a whole lot of factors. In a sunny place like CA with good solar incentive programs, assuming good southern to southwestern exposure, they are ca
by danans 5y ago
It depends on a whole lot of factors. In a sunny place like CA with good solar incentive programs, assuming good southern to southwestern exposure, they are cash positive after about 6 years [1]. In Wisconsin, 11 years [2]. In Washington State, 15 years [3]
1. https://www.energysage.com/solar-panels/ca/#:~:text=For%20California%2C%20the%20average%20solar%20payback%20period%20is%205.96%20years https://www.energysage.com/solar-panels/ca/#:~:text=For%20Ca....
2. https://www.energysage.com/solar-panels/wi/#:~:text=In%20Wisconsin%2C%20the%20average%20solar%20payback%20period%20is%2011.90%20years https://www.energysage.com/solar-panels/wi/#:~:text=In%20Wis....
3. https://www.energysage.com/solar-panels/wa/#:~:text=In%20Washington%2C%20the%20average%20solar%20payback%20period%20is%2014.55%20years https://www.energysage.com/solar-panels/wa/#:~:text=In%20Was....
- sib 5y agoYeah, so far, with the rooftop system we put in about 1.5 years ago (Los Angeles), we are tracking to ~5.5 year payback period, so this feels right.
- pie42000 5y agoGuaranteed 15%+ ROI. Really makes you wonder why more people aren't investing in solar
- brianwawok 5y agoAt what state? It’s more like 15-20 year break even by me; and I can’t sell power back to the grid.
- nightski 5y agoWow is electricity really that expensive in CA? Our total expenditure on electricity over 20 years is around 20k. But in CA that site says that their net 20 year savings using solar is 44k-60k. That's insane. Their savings alone is 3 times the cost of our entire electric bill...
- danans 5y ago> Wow is electricity really that expensive in CA? Our total expenditure on electricity over 20 years is around 20k. Electricity in CA currently averages around 28c/kWh. Your total expenditure depends on a lot of things, including the size of your home and your loads. The average CA home probably spends around $2000/year on electricity, but that varies a lot based on location and lifestyle. > But in CA that site says that their net 20 year savings using solar is 44k-60k. That's insane. Their savings alone is 3 times the cost of our entire electric bill... That figure probably assumes increasing electricity prices over the 20 years, which by and large has held true due to both inflation and increasing wildfire liability.
- nightski 5y agoThat explains it then, looking at our past few bills it comes out to ~$0.13/kWh. So yeah, we are less than half the average price in CA. Crazy. That would really change the dynamics of how profitable solar is. I've been wanting to get solar myself. In reality our rate is Basic - $23.15 + All kWh @ $.089. So it would be even cheaper if we used more on a per kWh basis.