Curious who has solar at home, and who else is considering it this year. If you're like me then every other phone call is another solar company, the other half telling you your vehicle warranty is about to expire. Here's what I know so far:
- Colorado giving you net metering if you get in this year, and according to at least one sales guy, this is the last year of that. Which as I understand it, means you sell the electricity back to them at the same rate you buy it for, up to 120% of your historical consumption. https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/learn-the-issues/net-metering/
- A typical house will get a 4-5kw system, at a cost of around $10,000 in equipment and $10,000 installation. You can pay cash for this, or finance it, if you finance the total cost is more like $30,000. Your numbers may vary, but that's the ballpark. And then the ROI on this is around 15 years in most cases, again YMMV.
-There's a 26% federal tax credit to offset some of the expense, which some sales people will use to offset the appearance of your true costs. And some companies will expect you to give them this tax credit as part of the deal. But either way, the tax credit is real, and as I understand it that's going to get reduced after 2021. https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2020/01/f70/Guide to Federal Tax Credit for Residential Solar PV.pdf
- Every year seems to be getting hotter, and staying hotter for longer.
- Battery storage is an added expense, and most solar companies don't really offer that. But I think it would be cool to have, or at least have the ability to add in the future.
In our house, I am super cheap and we don't run the AC. We suffer a lot in the summer, but usually the attic fan is enough to make it bearable. But we're kind of at a "life's too short to live hard" point in life, and so are considering adding solar, so that I can then crank the AC, while we're at it get a hot tub. And still enjoy a somewhat low electricity bill. Oh, and get an electric vehicle, which is why were here....
- Colorado giving you net metering if you get in this year, and according to at least one sales guy, this is the last year of that. Which as I understand it, means you sell the electricity back to them at the same rate you buy it for, up to 120% of your historical consumption. https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/learn-the-issues/net-metering/
- A typical house will get a 4-5kw system, at a cost of around $10,000 in equipment and $10,000 installation. You can pay cash for this, or finance it, if you finance the total cost is more like $30,000. Your numbers may vary, but that's the ballpark. And then the ROI on this is around 15 years in most cases, again YMMV.
-There's a 26% federal tax credit to offset some of the expense, which some sales people will use to offset the appearance of your true costs. And some companies will expect you to give them this tax credit as part of the deal. But either way, the tax credit is real, and as I understand it that's going to get reduced after 2021. https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2020/01/f70/Guide to Federal Tax Credit for Residential Solar PV.pdf
- Every year seems to be getting hotter, and staying hotter for longer.
- Battery storage is an added expense, and most solar companies don't really offer that. But I think it would be cool to have, or at least have the ability to add in the future.
In our house, I am super cheap and we don't run the AC. We suffer a lot in the summer, but usually the attic fan is enough to make it bearable. But we're kind of at a "life's too short to live hard" point in life, and so are considering adding solar, so that I can then crank the AC, while we're at it get a hot tub. And still enjoy a somewhat low electricity bill. Oh, and get an electric vehicle, which is why were here....
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