Solar water heater will pay for itself in ~5 years. Solar pv panels will never recoup costs.
The only way PV makes sense is if you just don’t have access to the grid or you get a big wonkin’ incentive from the state or your utility.
We lived next door to a family that installed solar panels on their roof (two-story house). We waited for it to come tumbling down into our pool with a major windstorm, but we were wrong - it came down into their own front yard.
My solar hot water system installed in 1984 was beyond repair by 1990, and had still not recouped the installation costs. They are practical only in areas with 'soft' water.
"Solar pv panels will never recoup costs."
Depends. - In off-grid situations they re-coup in 3-4 years. We have a 1000 watt system at our ranch that has been running for ten years, and is still going strong with minimal maintenance costs. The original battery banks are still working at 100% of original capacity, requiring electrolyte replenishment twice per year.
Compared to the costs of running the generators, they save about $2000 per year. The only thing we need the generators for normally is running the wells.