[CodeToad]

“it will pay for itself in 2 years”

Who told you the math behind this? It won’t be two years. You’ll be lucky to get a 20 year return.

[youngidiot]

Who told you the math behind this? It won’t be two years. You’ll be lucky to get a 20 year return.

Indeed. Some of the ones our government has favored would take 75 years to recoup the initial investment, and they're only designed to last about half that time. It's a pipe dream. Solar panels aren't good enough yet, perhaps they'll never be.

[super7man]

I think myrabach lost a zero in the payback calculation.
20 years is more likely.

$5000/kw panel installed

8 hr/day opeation (taking into account cloudy days)

Cost savings from utiltiy - $0.13/kw-hr

Daily savings - 8 x 0.13 = $1.04

Months to pay off panel - 5000/(1.04x30) = 160 months or 13.3 years.

I think my numbers may be optimistic on the installation but the payoff is certainly not 2 years.

[HereInTheHeartland]

““it will pay for itself in 2 years”

Who told you the math behind this? It won’t be two years. You’ll be lucky to get a 20 year return.”

You would have to get a huge tax credit or some other way that somebody else is paying for it then.

Solar is very expensive and very long payback if at all; from all I have seen.