Is Residential Solar Worth It

Does Your Roof Need To Be Replaced

It’s a good idea to replace a roof that is near the end of its life before installing solar because SunPower solar panels have an expected useful life of 40 years, and you wouldn’t want to unnecessarily have to remove them. Solar panels should be installed on roofs that are in good condition and will not need to be replaced in the near future. Considering that your savings from high-efficiency solar panels could pay for the cost of a re-roof in as little as five years after installation, it may be worth it to do any needed roofing work before your solar installation.

Are Solar Panels Worth It In Tampa Florida

Calculate Solar Panels Payback Time For A 5kW Solar System In Tampa, Florida

How much sunshine does Tampa, Florida get?

• City: Tampa, Florida
• What solar system power:5kW
• Cost of solar panels Florida 2021 = $2.64/watt
• Solar installation capital cost = $13200 26% federal tax credit = $9768
• Irradiance at Tampa, Fl = 1901 Peak Sun Hours
• Power produced by solar panels = 1901 x 5kw = 9505 kWhrs
• Tampa residential electricity cost per kW = 11.65 cents/kWh
• Savings each year= solar production x elec cost = 9505 x 0.1165 = $1107
• Solar payback time Tampa, Florida = solar cost/yearly savings = 9768/1107 = 8.8 years

Disclaimer: Professional installers are great at estimating power generation rates and payback time in years for your exact location based on irradiance and other operating parameters.

The previous payback calculation didnt take into account the rising cost of residential electricity, which is rising at around 2.9% year.

What To Do About About Starting Current

If you want to be able to operate a large appliance like a pool pump or central air conditioner but your battery doesnât have the output capacity to satisfy the starting current, donât despair.

A device called a soft starter moderates the brief surge of electricity when a motor starts up. By spreading out the electric surge over a longer time, a soft starter can make it possible to operate an appliance that otherwise couldnât be powered by a battery. Talk to your solar installer or electrician about getting one of these installed.

Itâs worth nothing that the Enphase Ensemble battery has a soft starter built into it, eliminating the need to install a separate device.

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Theres Nowhere Else To Put Solar Panels

The roof is the most common place to put solar panels but its not the only place they can go.

You will find homeowners placing solar panels in other places, such as in their backyard or on secondary structure on their property.

If both of the circumstances below apply to you, then youre out of luck.

• Ground-mounting isnt possible for you: Ground-mounted solar refers to solar panels installed on the ground using special mounts to angle them towards the sun. While this may be an option for farms and ranches, it is rarely feasible in cities and suburbs where there is less open space to work with.
• No other structure available: The last option to consider are buildings like carports or sheds, or backyard structures like gazebos, pergolas and patio covers. If you dont have any of these, or they lack suitable surface areas, it means that youre going to hold off on solar panels for the time being.

We Assess The Factors That Make A Homeowner A Good Candidate For Solar Energy

While the many benefits of solar energy are well-touted, there are also high upfront costs associated with installing a home renewable energy system. At the end of the day, are solar panels worth it?

The truth is, purchasing a solar panel system isn’t right for every home. At its best, solar allows you to reduce your environmental footprint, offset your monthly energy bills and increase your independence from your local utility company. With rising energy rates and the price of modern solar being as low as it is, the cost of doing nothing usually turns out to be greater than the cost of purchasing solar.

With the wrong home, however, panels might not generate enough energy to be worth the cost. So, how can you tell if solar panels are worth it for you? In this article, we’ll review the factors that determine solar panel costs, system longevity and return on investment to help you confirm if you’re a good candidate for solar or if you should hold off.

When considering an investment in panels with one of the best solar companies, it helps to know how much your initial costs would be. You can start getting free, no-obligation quotes from top solar companies in your area by using this tool or filling out the 30-second form below.

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Faq: Are Solar Panels Worth It

Do solar panels really save you money?

In most cases, solar panels really do save you money. There are, however, cases in which roofs are unfit for solar panels or are covered by too much shade and prove uneconomical. The best way to assess whether your home is a good match for solar panels is to get an estimate from a solar installer near you.

What are the main disadvantages of solar?

Solar panels are not a perfect energy source for everyone. Disadvantages include lower efficiency when facing a direction besides south or west, potential complications with a solar lease or loan when selling a home, and upfront costs that can price out certain demographics. To see if solar panels would be advantageous to you, we recommend reaching out to a local solar provider.

Are solar panels worth it in 2021?

Generally speaking, solar panels are worth it in 2021. The cost of solar is near all-time lows despite supply chain issues, and the federal solar tax credit is still in effect until the end of 2022. However, there are a few disqualifiers for solar customers, such as too much shade over a roof, too little space on a roof or energy bills that are already too low to justify the purchase.

Karsten Neumeister

What Are The Best Kinds Of Solar Panels For A House

Monocrystalline solar panels are the most potent solar panels you can install on your home. Monocrystalline panels’ standard efficiency by a Grade 1 brand is generally between 19% and 22%.

Once the situation, monocrystalline panels were notably more costly than the less efficient polycrystalline panels.

The difference between polycrystalline and monocrystalline panels is minimal pricing, making monocrystalline panels ideal for home solar.

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How Much Your Bill Is

How much you pay for your utility is the number one variable that can save you money by installing a residential solar system.

For every kilowatt-hour of power you consume, you currently pay the utility provider, meaning you could pay anything from 8 cents per kWh to over 20 cents per kWh, based on where you live.

First ever thought that comes to mind when most people hear about investing in solar energy is reducing their utility bill or even eliminating it. And its interesting that you can almost eradicate your reliance on conventional energy in certain instances. In most situations, though, the money you save on electricity costs is offset by the expense of funding your solar power plant. The long-term benefit it brings to your house is where you truly stand to make money on an investment in solar energy.

How Much Money Will You Save With Solar Panels

One of the most common questions surrounding solar energy is: How much will you save with solar? Naturally, this depends on your energy needs, location, solar loan interest rates and budget. However, the average solar panel payback period is between five and 10 years.

When determining whether solar panels are worth it for your home, keep in mind that your savings will be greater if you live in an area where electricity rates are higher by contrast, if you live somewhere with a lower cost of electricity, the money you save using clean energy will be lesser.

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Are Solar Panels Worth It For Me

When consumers are seeking cost-effective, environmentally responsible energy solutions, one of the most common questions is, of course, Is solar worth it? There are many factors that influence this decision for homeowners and small businesses. Some of the primary factors that determine if solar panels are worth the investment include the overall cost of your utility bill, your location, qualifying tax breaks, and other savings opportunities. For many homeowners, the rising prices of traditional energy sources make solar installation costs a worthwhile investment. But is it worth installing solar panels for you? Take a look at the variables to determine if solar energy is worth the money.

How Much Will You Save With Solar

The first question youre probably wondering if youre considering going solar is: how much money will you save? And for good reason! Afterall, solar is an investment so youll want to understand your payback period before making any decisions. Most property owners will break even on their solar investment in seven to eight years but as you start exploring your solar options, there are a few key questions you should ask to approximate your personal return on investment:

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Offsetting Solar Panel Costs

Another big driver of solar’s growth are the federal and state-specific solar programs deployed to provide financial assistance for solar installations. These programs include local and federal tax credits and other rebates. Top solar companies should be able to help you identify and apply to any programs you are eligible for. These incentives have proven effective in areas like the Northeast, which may not be known for their sunshine but have made the benefits of solar available to a wide demographic.

The current federal solar investment tax credit provides a 26% credit for systems installed through the end of 2022. State incentives can be added on top of this for even more savings. Rather than cutting down the initial cost of solar, most statewide incentives focus more on rewarding you for the solar energy that your home produces to accelerate your ROI. You can learn more about your state’s incentives by searching the DSIRE database.

You Will Need A New Roof Soon Or You Have A Metal Roof

If you are planning to get a new roof soon, then its perfect time to consider installing solar panels. In fact, it probably makes sense to coordinate the re-roofing work with the installation of solar arrays.

While most homes are covered with fiberglass composition shingles aka asphalt, there are some roofs that are covered with metal and/or a single-ply membrane like EPDM rubber, PVC or TPO membranes that are commonly installed on low-sloped roofs.

If you happen to have standing seam panels or a recently installed PVC or TPO membrane roof, then installing solar arrays on your homes rooftop should be a rather simple and straightforward affair.

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Are Solar Panels A Good Investment For You

Solar panels can save you money on electricity while adding to the value of your home, but they’re not right for everyone. For one thing, they don’t work for every home design. Whether you have the right setup depends on the direction your home faces and what roofing materials you have. You’ll need to have a solar installation company come out to do an assessment to determine if you stand to benefit from solar panels.

Solar panels also may not make sense if you’re not planning to stay in your home for very long, as there’s a break-even period you’ll need to get through before you reap the financial benefits of having the system in place. And if you don’t tend to spend a lot on electricity, it’ll take even longer to recoup your investment.

Also, some people don’t like the look of solar panels. Whether that bothers you will depend on your aesthetic preferences, but it may be an issue for prospective buyers when the time comes to sell your home.

Ultimately, solar panels can be a solid investment and save you a lot of money in the long run. Crunch the numbers to see what sort of return you’re looking at and decide whether they’re the right choice for your home.

Federal And State Solar Incentives In Oregon

Governments at various levels are doing their best to provide people with incentives to switch to solar energy. For instance, the ITC, or investment tax credit, also known as the federal solar tax credit, currently sits at 26%.

That 26% can be subtracted from the initial cost of the solar system. In other words, you can save just for installing a solar array, to begin with. So what do the solar costs in Oregon look like after this federal rebate is factored into the equation?

• 4kW $8,660

Remember, most people install 5-kilowatt systems in Oregon, which will cost an average of $9,360.

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Check Out Smaller Installers

These inflated solar prices often come from some of the larger solar installers in the industry so its important to consider all of their solar options, not just the installers large enough to pay for the most advertising. The same 2017 NREL report referenced above found that quotes from large installers were typically 10 percent higher than those from mid- and small-sized installers. If you receive quotes from some of the bigger companies in the industry, just be sure to compare them with quotes from local installers so you dont overpay for solar.

What Is The Florida Solar Tax Credit

When people refer to the Florida solar tax credit, they actually mean the 26% solar tax credit, known formally as the federal investment tax credit .

This is actually a federal incentive available in all 50 states. It allows tax-paying homeowners to claim 26% of their solar systems cost as a deduction on their income taxes. In other words, the federal tax credit offers you a 26% discount on your solar system. If your tax liability is less than 26% of your solar systems cost, you can roll the remaining balance over to the next period for up to 10 years.

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Table Major Elements Of Cost For A Solar Panel Installation Project

As you can see from the above table, almost 50% of the cost of an installation can be saved by installing solar panels yourself. The cost and payback period of a DIY solar system become extremely interesting for anyone concerned about their budget.

Many homeowners have gone down this path and recorded their results on Youtube. Its quite easy with careful planning and the final grid connections and permits could be handled by a professional its probably worth the extra payment for someone else to navigate the bureaucracy.

There are posts on DIY Solar Shack which go into great detail about the installation design process.

Better Value Over The Money

Unlike earlier, the cost of panels, as well as residential solar panel installation, is affordable. Moreover, the government rebates make it even cheaper to get solar panels from the best solar installers in Sydney. In many other ways, you can enjoy better value over the money invested in the solar system. Some of them are listed here:

• Now solar panel sizes are higher than what was available earlier. For example, now you have residential solar panels in size of 6.6 kW, 9.9 kW and 13.2 kW. The large size panels can transform more solar energy into more reusable electricity. This helps in saving huge on the residential power bills.
• With the latest and large residential solar system, the payback period is reduced as its performance is better than before. In a majority of cities in Australia, the payback period of the solar system is on an average of 5 to 6 years .

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Who Are The Best Solar Panel Installation Companies Near Me

As the largest consumer reviews site for the residential solar industry, we have reviews of most solar panel installation companies.

We also have rankings for solar energy companies so that you can refine your search for the best local solar company to only those companies that service your local area.

Compare the prices of the best-rated solar providers near you online

When Will Your Solar System Reach Its Break

The expected breakeven point vary across the United States but on average homeowners in the United States break even on their system cost within eight years. A typical homeowner broke through eight years with energy costs and maintenance. The solar panel repayment cycle is the time taken to offset the solar cost through reduced charges.

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How Big Of A Solar System Will You Need And What Will It Cost

With this information, the solar installers will give you a quote for a residential solar system.

Your specific optimal build will depend on who provides your electricity. We are with Alliant Energy, which installs rollback meters, which simply means any electricity we generate from our new solar system will directly offset, or rollback, our electric meter. If we have surplus credits at the end of the year , we get a payout, but it is very small much lower than the price we pay for the electricity.

At the time we had our system installed, we paid about 18.8 cents per kWh, so offsetting that with solar could have huge paybacks, but excess production pays just a fraction of the 18.8 cents to us.

In our case, it was not worth it to install a system designed to significantly overproduce any more than we use.

Long story short, we decided on a 4.32 kW system. The system is projected to produce enough electricity to make up for ~95% of our usage. It should produce a little over 100% early on, but as the panels degrade slowly , by the end of their lives they will produce enough electricity to offset 95% of our electric bill.

For the calculations below, Im going to assume only 95% of our electric use is offset every year. Hopefully this is very conservative as the panels should produce more early on.

So, remember from before that we pay $1,152 each year in electricity. If we can offset 95% of that, that means we would save $1,095 per year with a solar system.