4 ms·
Victoria BC area here (practically next door), it wouldn't work for us. My annual hydro bill was $2400 in 2018 with baseboard heating, and $2050 for 16,500kWh
by jamie_ca 4y ago
Victoria BC area here (practically next door), it wouldn't work for us.
My annual hydro bill was $2400 in 2018 with baseboard heating, and $2050 for 16,500kWh in 2021 after we put in a heat pump. 3 bedroom detached.
A recent article suggested a typical 4 kW system around here would cost $10k for 3261 kWh a year, or about $405 in credit at a blended rate. Another suggests an 11 kW system at $27,500, which could maybe hit 9000 kWh - about $1100 in credit. We do have net metering with BC Hydro so it'll just wash through, but that's still a 25 year payback horizon.
- efields 4y ago20 year payback horizon for us in MD, USA. And that's still would only covering 20-40% of our annual electric usage. We have a fully electric house. It doesn't take more than a couple trees in the wrong place to make you a lousy candidate for solar.
- Brian_K_White 4y agoMeanwhile a relatives system failed before 2 and is now a pile of panels leaning on the side of their house. No way these things are actually lasting 20 years. Or if they are, it's by dint of enough repair & maint to destroy the math even more. What does seem to be true though is that it's getting better/closer. As the panels get both more efficient and cheaper, it becomes less of a waste of motion.
- idiotsecant 4y agoLike anything else you can buy quality components and install them correctly or you can buy poor quality components and install them poorly. If a solar system fails after 2 years there were defects in materials or worksmanship. A solar setup is a pretty robust thing when done right.