The payoff can greatly vary... Each individual is looking at an entirely different situation. Here is why, tax credits, some are local, some are state, some are through the power comany.
Lets say you buy a 10kw system and you spend 30,000 putting it in. Federal tax credit is 30%. So out of pocket expense is $21,000. Some states offer as little as $500 bucks off, some states have incentives as high as 35%. Like North Carolina for instance, so lets say now your after your federal and state tax credits ur expense is down to $10,500. In NC and other states they are required to pay you so much per kw system that we out in, so if they all you .50 per kw system, there is another 5k. Sooo, out of pocket expense is now down to $6500.
Now,all situations ain't that glorious, but every co op, every power company is different. Ky for example is $500 from state and my electric company fought with me over putting it in lol mainly because unions are slipping under the table money to legislators to protect union power company jobs
My system in particular, lets say it holds on an average of 750kwh/month. My Elecric rate is 13.5cents a kwh, that's roughly $102 bucks/month. If my state was pro solar, and I installed a 10kw system, I'd be looking at $204\mo
Then there is the whole deal will your power company buy any excess?? Mine won't, but they will trade kwh with me, if one month I make 700 and only need 650, I have a 50kwh credit, this is called net metering
Now, some power companies will pay you, some pay a pretty high rate, and some pay only what they charge.
My system in particular is very simple, it's not big enough to do over 100% of my needs so I don't do net metering, if I add another system, I will then add net metering and the power company is required by law to provide it for u. That way I can receive credit for any extra I make.
I'm using no batteries, it simply feeds back onto the grid though my breaker box, my meter spins backwards throughout the day!
Sooo..... Everyone just needs to check out there local situation, you'll need to look at ur state, and your power company to see how beneficial it is to you. Many times people look at solar as an investment and not so much a turn around, we figured up one time that with our rate and cost the investment of solar was paying me like 8%, find that at the bank
Now, as far as financing, that's the good part. I am hooked up with a furnace company that will do clean energy loans down to as low as 3% I beleive, so some people look at it like this. I got a great loan, the interest is tax deductible, the solar system is paying it's own payment, and I got this cool looking thing on my roof, and I'm helping the environment....
My approach is similar, I say this, if borrowed money for this on a 10 year loan, would after 10 years I rather have this solar system on my roof, or would I rather have nothing, and have simply paid all that money to the power company, no brainer to me
If anyone wants to talk more about it, feel free to contact me or call, solar is pretty neat, and to have a DIY kit is great.
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Topic: Solar and wood boilers, electric company hates me lol (Read 11434 times)