Is Solar Worth It? My experience after two years owning Solar Panels

[@SuitTV]

NEW VIDEO: Analysis after 4 years kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmPSnoqpmLiqiaM

[@SpiritofAloha11]

Well, I guess this comment answers that.

[@VndNvwYvvSvv]

But where do the credits come from? Oh yeah, taxes. We're all getting screwed so the credits can be paid. It's wealth redistribution based on whether you're going along with this or not. Battery replacement also has to be figured in, btw

[@SuitTV]

@@VndNvwYvvSvv there's no batteries.

[@transfattyexpress]

@@SuitTV so you draw power from the lines company at night and to gain sufficient advantage must over produce your needs during the day and thus need a bigger system than would actually meet your needs

[@transfattyexpress]

@@SuitTV and thus no uninterruptable power supply or off grid independence in case of significant power supply disruption

[@bignick3303]

Your spreadsheet reminds me of myself trying to justify a brand new truck purchase to my wife 😂

[@pilot876]

Lol it’s just real life. Same here 😂😂

[@CorePathway]

@@iggi70 #HumbleBrag

[@datsuntoyy]

in the last year prices have cut in half. You can get 12,000KWh from a system with half that many panels now and I've seen estimates down to below $15k BEFORE tax credits.

[@kgosibogosi7232]

No man ply nice 😅😂🤣

[@gusherful]

Did you get the truck

[@boardingpass369]

despite all the criticism in the comments, I appreciate you sharing your honest experience for those of us trying to research this topic. 😀👍

[@jeffwads]

No one with criticism is harassing this guy for putting up this report. All of us appreciate his hard work on putting actual numbers out there. Some may be taking issue with the "conclusion", but anyone can just look at the numbers and make their own decision.

[@joda8349]

Solar panels lose 1% per year in energy generation. So at 25 years he will be at 75% of where he is now. Solar panels need to be free after tax credits so we can really start to save on the environment. They should then be replaced for with similar tax credits at year 40.

[@netfolks]

@@joda8349 But don't you see, it appears they may actually do more harm than good to the environment, or, at most, close to neutral effect, due to the materials and later their disposal. The mining alone for the materials takes huge efforts, digging, mining over large parts of the earth's surface, destroying what could be farmland or forests. Even our gasoline additive is showing a negative affect since it takes tractors so much to produce the corn to get the oil to add to our gallons of gas. All is not as it appears. We do "feel good" things that end up wrong in the end. I'm near the end of my life. I wonder how it'll turn out after I'm gone.

[@tluva1020]

@@netfolks wrong. Solar is definitely cleaner than fossils. 100% fact. Use Google. And big oil pages don't count

[@netfolks]

@@tluva1020 Solar itself, yes, is cleaner. But rarely revealed is the huge carbon footprint to assemble all the parts, the whole effect, the mining for parts. We are slowly realizing the limits of solar. It's great for low voltage applications. I still think new innovations are forthcoming. Meanwhile we should be very thankful for fossil fuels, especially natural gas.

[@MrAcmove]

What’s so tough is trusting everyone to do everything for you… All the financial research takes nearly as much time and effort as studying solar technologies and procurement of your own equipment and DIY installation.

[@Sugarsail1]

they make it complex so you wont realize it's a boondoggle. If it was a true market based solution you'd be willing to buy up front and not jump through all the financial shenanigans, subsidies, tax rebates, SRECs (which just cap and trade nonsense). You're lining Al Gore's pocket.

[@jefftee448]

That's great if your jurisdiction allows DIY Grid-Tie

[@risanch]

Another thing to consider is as your panels get older they become less efficient. And technology of solar panels will also become more efficient and cost less. So you can choose to upgrade your panels BUT there is a cost for that. In other words cost and savings will always fluctuate. Homeowners just need to decide for themselves. Of course NO ONE who gets into these solar contracts will ever openly admit they made a mistake. My point is if you really want to save on solar learn as much as you can about it, purchase, install and maintain it yourself. That's where the real savings is.

[@donaldkasper8346]

Estimate for our house in Southern California two months ago, about same cost and output, 25 year pay by wattage used, total comes to about $90,000. Then if you have to sell, you write them a check or new owner has to assume to agreement. They agree to "maintain" the system, whatever that means for solar companies for 25 years, assuming they are even around that long. They don't call it a product lien on the house, they call it (insert word salad here) that is convertible to a lien for the $90k, that affects getting second mortgages on the house, using its value for cheaper credit cards, etc. Now to me, the value would be to get power and use it in the house so if the CA grid drops dead with move to EV charging, then I still have power. But this is not how they work. They send power out to the grid at wholesale, and you buy it back at retail. If the grid goes down, you don't have power anyway. But, you can get a big battery for just $10,000 with 5 year warranty or it is 10, and that is enough to last you a half day. Otherwise, I have a big generator and can of gas to run freezers and refrigerators in an outage. That cost was $800.

[@risanch]

@@donaldkasper8346 pretty much you screwed either way. I hate the fact that if you generate more than you need during the day it's sold to the electric company at wholesale but you have to buy that same energy "your system" generated back at retail. I've received a couple of quotes and I always tell them to quote me a systen that is way overkill for what I need so I will generate a big surplus so the electic company will have to pay me every month. They won't do it. They always tell me what I need (use). That's not what I asked for.

[@donaldkasper8346]

@@risanch No, every watt you generate goes to the grid.

[@donaldkasper8346]

@@risanch They have solar farms everywhere here in Palmdale/Lancaster dumping into the grid.

[@donaldkasper8346]

@@risanch The real reason is that the solar supplier is a front man marketer and the system is paid for by a lender. That lender will only put out money for what you are using. That is the lien on your house, and if it ended up in court, you could sue for inflated cost valuation as it is not power you use. I doubt this has anything to do with power companies. It is an underwriter requirement of the people paying for the system up front.

[@ChadEAult]

I worked installing solar panels and I felt the panels were equivalent to an 8 track. I was told brand new off the pallet they would be at 80% efficiency declining over the life cycle (25 years) down to 50%. Also, for half the time in the dead of winter there is no light. If you’re not storing power (which adds thousands to the cost) you are not getting the maximum output. The problem I see is they are selling old and inefficient technology for a premium price. Technology will far exceed these panels and will essentially make them not only outdated but less efficient. Even now the have a new technology that comes in a liquid form that will change the game. Essentially turning, for example, a window into a panel. You spray it or or apply it and it creates a thin film of solar cells that can be hooked up to the grid. Some other issues, as, mentioned, is when a new Governor gets elected and changes or eliminates the tax credit. Putting on your roof is always a bit risky, meaning that you are not only adding weight but putting more holes in your roof. I used to install roofs as well. And the fewer holes you have in your roof the better you are. They are best kept on the ground. Point blank, they really aren’t worth it. When you need a subsidy to almost break even it tells me, the ones who benefit the most are the finance company, the solar company, and the power company. I wish we were at the place where they were worth the cost and maintenance but we are just not there.

[@timturk1899]

They do seem extremely inefficient, especially compared to the Patriot larger, compact emergency generator. Often advertised on YT. I think it puts out up to 2000 Watts, which seemed to take 3-4 hrs to charge with an unfoldable Solar Panel trio, maybe even 4 square panels, attached to each other, and between 2'-3'ft/square each..? Seems to put out enought much power to run longer than the time to charge it by double, from what I remember,.? Don't have the money for one, now. Hopefully these newer panels will actually do what they promised, long ago.👍💯✌️

[@ChadEAult]

@@timturk1899 one more thing to add. I was told when handling these panels, to be careful. If one cell gets damaged the whole panel is shot! My buddy who I worked for is out of Missouri and I am from Illinois. He said Illinois was like the gold rush. The tax credits are some of the best in the country. Well, growing up in Illinois, (not Chicago, west central) we are in tornado alley. We get hail, ridiculous winds, tornadoes, massive ice and snow storms. These panels aren’t made like the windshield of your car. They easily break, crack, and who knows how they hold up to negative temperatures. I am all for reuseable energy. But it’s just not cost effective, yet! These solar companies are going up against big energy companies who aren’t giving up their share of the market, yet. Some are jumping on board slowly. It won’t totally change until solar has enough lobbying power as they do. They are getting there. But I suspect it will take 25 more years, regardless of technology. At that point it will be worth it.

[@shannonglover5291]

@@ChadEAult 25 years is an extreme estimate my friend. It's already well worth it for some individuals who have the know how for solar, even at it's current technology. In 25 years, I would imagine we might be to the point of actually mandating renewable energy. By the end of this decade, you will see a dramatic swing to renewables vs our current state. The fact that individuals are having to overpay bloated prices to companies for installation costs is unfortunate, but that too will likely be corrected with more competition in the market.

[@ChadEAult]

@@shannonglover5291 extreme, maybe. I would love to see it way sooner. But if you recall, we were told by 2022 mpg would have to increase to, and I can’t recall the number, but it was a massive increase. That was during Obama. Almost a decade later, the vast majority of trucks sold get less than 20. Hybrids and electric vehicles are coming on the market, but the average person can’t afford them, so people are holding onto vehicles longer. My point here is we set these goals and then bought and paid for politicians who take massive donations and money from lobbyists then move the goal post. I would love to see big changes by the end of the decade. I just don’t believe it will happen that fast. Solar panels have been around for decades! And still they are only a fraction of the energy production in this country. It’s grown for sure, as have other renewables, but when you have politicians telling millions of people they kill millions of birds, they cause, cancer, they are noisy, and inefficient it slows progress. This is why I SUSPECT it will take longer than it should. 25 years is just 3 presidents with two terms each. Ok that is 24 years but if none of them back renewable energies than one more year won’t change things over night. I hope you are right and I am wrong. But here we are in 2022, on the cusp of a major recession and massive inflation and I could easily see this alone will hold things back for many years. However, I hope you are right.

[@peteparadis1619]

Lots of what you say is true.. If you have batteries large enough to do some good they have to be recharged everyday, that power subtracts from what you can use during the day, nobody mentions that.. One bad storm and you’re out of business as well, like IDA did to my neighbors, they still don’t have their solar panels back up.. They are best kept on the ground like you say, but that takes space away from the precious yard.. You’re right about the winter sunshine as well, here from November-February we only get 6hrs of good Sun on a clear day, and most of December-February is cloudy, WHAT THEN..?? Punt I guess.. I wish things were different but wishing upon a star don’t make it so.. Optimum areas are S.California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, parts of Utah and Texas, everywhere else is not optimum..

[@GeorgeSagen]

If I had some extra cash, I'd start by investing in better insulation, and I'd look for hidden power wasters in my home. After that, I might do solar--not to save on power, but to lower the risk of exposure should the power grid go down. I live in an isolated area high in the mountains; and, when we lose power, our water well shuts off, we lose fans for the central heating and space heaters, and in the winters our pipes would freeze. It's dangerous to lose power in the winter. And there is always the danger of a zombie apocalypse, of course.

[@richardmarcott4343]

I suggest you look into a verticle tunnel wind mill for emergency power,small efficient affordable

[@slchang01]

I'd go for a generator for the essential home functions, like well water pump, and such. Wood stove can suplement for heat and cooking during black outs...

[@AjitMD]

You can build a house that consumes very little energy. Use insulated concrete forms, airtight ceiling insulation, double pane windows with insulated frames, insulated doors. HVAC using split units, no ducts. Heat exchangers for HVAC. These type of houses are built in Europe.

[@peterrhines1516]

System is not going to do much unless you have a battery storage, in case of power outage.

[@intuitivecarpentryinc.5942]

Small solar , battery back up and a small generator to run the essentials and charge the batteries and when solar isn’t productive enough.

[@davidparker8475]

A very good outline of how solar works for you and us! While I'm no expert, a variable that concerns me regarding making an investment in solar is panel/equipment life. If they don't last and need replaced say for example in 7-12 years , well you see my question. Great job in any event and thanks!

[@SuitTV]

That's the most common question I get. the panels are guaranteed to produce a certain amount per year. See the Google doc in the description for the numbers. It will never fall below 85% within the 30 years which isn't too bad. All repairs are done for free by the company.

[@TheBoxster1998]

Some comes with 25 year warranty..so, there you go. Find the one that offers at least 20-25 year warranty

[@larrybe2900]

@@SuitTV So should you not take 15% off your numbers since the guarantee is 85%. Anything more is just a bonus. Correct?

[@Mike-gt1cs]

@@SuitTV . . . and if that particular company goes out of business after making a butt - ton of money, BEFORE they have to start replacing large numbers of solar panels, what then . . . ?

[@SuitTV]

@@Mike-gt1cs that's why I went with the largest provider in the north east. They are doing just fine. But yea if the company went bankrupt then there would be no more guarantees or fixes for free.

[@kurtbilinski1723]

As others have pointed out, depreciation has to be factored in, typically a 20-yr lifetime. Also, over time the panels wear, generating less electricity (typically dropping by about 20% in 20 yrs). Inverter failure cost should also be estimated. Lastly, and potentially the biggest issue of all, is if the government and/or the electric company change the rules. Our local electric company is trying that right now, sticking users with monthly surcharges which undermine much of the potential savings. Right now, for me at least, it only makes financial sense if the system is owner-installed in order to keep the installation costs down.

[@Nolaman70]

My inverters have 20 year warranty.

[@99shadows66]

@@Nolaman70 it's a 20-year prorated warranty so if it fails in year 19 you only save about 10% of the cost to replace it, the rest comes out of your pocket. No one will give you a full 100% 20-year warranty on inverters, panels, labor, etc.

[@bradymulroy9162]

If your panels are degrading over 20% in the first 20 years, you bought the wrong panels in today's market. Most Tier 1 panels will only degrade .5% annually resulting in 85+% efficiency after 25 years of operation. The panels should last well over 30 years.

[@johnterpack3940]

Plus hail damage, wind damage, regular cleaning to keep efficiency up... I really don't see the benefit. The one plus is that you aren't effected by blackouts.

[@transfattyexpress]

@@johnterpack3940 IF you have a battery system backup. Seems pointless not to as the opportunity solar gives to be energy independent is wasted without one.

[@tomchrisfield7348]

Everything he said is why I didn't go with solar, the way I figured it, I would be just trading one bill for another.

[@williampaz2092]

I just shut off the lights in every room I’m not using, I use a single room heater at night instead of the home furnace during the winter, I lowered the temperature on my hot water heater to 110 F and began washing my laundry in cold water. My electrical bill dropped like a rock.

[@juliaweber212]

Wow I’m glad we find that out now

[@ozzieosborne7676]

So what I saw was a net gain of approx $1,000.00 a year for the 25 years with no mention of any upkeep or maintenance issues. NOT worth all the trouble.

[@tomchrisfield7348]

@@ozzieosborne7676 the up keep and other things. I was told that it would take me 13 years to break even and that the solar panels were only 50% efficient, and would have to be replaced in time, I'm to old to start now, maybe if you're 25.

[@DavidALovingMPF102]

Our loan was paid off in 6 years. We have had free electricity for 5 years now.

[@zachsowersfilmandphoto6659]

The second you have 6% interest its a no go for me.

[@SuitTV]

Yea that was my mistake, I should of asked why the interest rate is so high and shopped around for a better one.

[@ianwatson306]

@@SuitTV Hey man! Solar company owner here, AWESOME video. You may be able to refinance with your home mortgage. Trinity made about 25K and financiers 10K. It kind of hurts me a little bit tbh. But thankfully the SREC makes it still a win for you. Be ready for year 9 inverter / micro inverter replacement

[@ianwatson306]

Feel feee to shoot me a PM if you ever need the straight truth on a solar answer. I’m In Texas and have no skin in the game!

[@autojohn-pu1vf]

@@SuitTV At 1st I thought your video was about geoengineering, with you standing there on the roof w all those chemtrails over you! Some people live in areas that are constantly being sprayed and the performance they get from their solar panels REALLY suck!!

[@SuitTV]

@@autojohn-pu1vf haha it's usually not that bad.

[@davidwell686]

In Florida, home insurance companies now want a new roof at about the 15 year mark, some won't insure a home with a roof over 10 years. So, solar is no longer an option due to the cost of removing them, put up a new roof and then reinstall them. I would like to see some more efficent solar panel system that is not mounted on the roof but could be used to power part of a home's electric requirements. Nice review of your system.

[@donaldkasper8346]

You put in a ground array installation. I never heard of 15 years roof replacement anywhere. Does not exist in California. Why? Hurricanes? If you have a shingle roof it may leak after 15 years, but ours is flat concrete tiles.

[@thawrath9306]

Some backyards would be big enough to install the panels. It'd also be easier to keep them relatively clean. And nobody ruins your roof with a bad installation!

[@chriscampbell3279]

Hello brother, 2 things.... In rural AZ, I saw small, high quality, pole mounted arrays next to big homes. I'm in Dallas, lots of solar panels for water and power but much larger arrays overall... Secondly, a roofing contractor should be able to install threaded studs or brakets sealed as part of the roof. Panels should be fitted on a rack to accommodate necessary points of attachment without roof penetration by the solar [re]insulation.

[@Theutus2]

@@donaldkasper8346 hurricanes are the excuse, yes. I had 30 year rated shingles on my roof, at the 15 year mark with no damage I was uninsurable until I replaced my roof out of pocket. The year prior to that the only insurance I could get was the state run insurance, Citizens. Right now Citizens is the "cheapest" insurance I can get, $2,000 higher than when I purchased in 2013. We haven't had a hurricane in my area since 2006.. my new roof has 50 year rated shingles, which I'm told won't matter and will probably need to be replaced in 15 years. It's gross.

[@donaldkasper8346]

@@Theutus2 Shingle roof, I would cover it in chain link fencing and screw it down.

[@dmproduction100]

Thank you for the breakdown. It can be complicated, I filled out a survey and was bombarded with offers from all over the U.S.

[@MrAvant123]

Things may be different in the US, but here in the UK I think they are difficult to justify unless you have a good feed in tariff. We have a 4Kw system and benefit hugely from the very generous FiT the UK govt offered around 2011. But now its hard to justify the up-front cost, and it would seem solar panels only give you a warm fuzzy feeling about the environment !

[@thomasjust2663]

A neighbor installed solar panels in his home (Texas), now he has leaks all over the place when it rains and the company refuses to make good on their "roof warranty" also the first couple of years he got credit back from the power company from unused energy, now that energy prices are increasing, the power company refuses to give him any credit for power he returns to the power grid, so now he pays more money overall, because he has to pay the cells, plus the electric bill, now when I see him and ask him about the cells he just gives me a sad look

[@douglasmorris8364]

Wow! They saw you coming mate! I built my own 6kw system with 17kw of battery power for less than £7000 recently. I have a manual switch over at consumer unit and I haven't been on grid for ages. I have no debts, more than enough power and I live in North Wales with my son. We use about 10kwh a day on average. A great learning experience at my age of 67. I wish you well however I feel that you were ripped off.

[@danielpiscopo5659]

Wow. I use 10 KWH a year.

[@kentclark6420]

@@danielpiscopo5659 Are you homeless?

[@notyourtypicalwatchreview2563]

How long has it taken you to recoup that £7000?

[@Nill757]

“Haven’t been on the grid for ages” Nice trick. The sun hours each month for Wales is well published, and no surprise at 52 deg N latitude come winter, and sun as fallen at times to less than one hour per day average ( ie full power sun equivalent hour). With a 6KW array, that’s 4kwh a day, the energy for a couple 100 W light bulbs. Batteries are great for getting through a summer night, no help at all in winter when there’s no excess to charge a thing. As an engineer I have some experience w power systems. There is the rare shack run only w part time power, but w homes it just doesn’t happen off grid, though for some reason there is a vast number of pretenders. In every case, there’s a generator hiding behind the curtain, or a fat utility cable making it work. If there must be a utility grid always ready and maintained, then society can’t afford both the grid and paydays for solar, esp when residential solar is 5x more expensive than utility solar. 7000 pound sterling might have been what you paid, but wasn’t the cost. Somebody else paid for that.

[@Nill757]

@@danielpiscopo5659nice trick, that’s an LED lamp bulb, one, 3 hrs a day, and a couple cell phone charges. Of course the rest of society around you keeping you alive, just your share, grocery stores, hospitals, transpo, etc is a 1000X that.

[@cdreid99999]

Great information. It does sound like you got screwed by the solar company though. A LOT of these companies have insane markups on both hardware and labor.

[@freebird7328]

Plus 6% interest too dang

[@kbob8424]

Not really, I've seen allot worse here in my area.

[@rwdturbo]

Could have Built himself for 10k?

[@kbob8424]

@@rwdturbo - not really.

[@daizhanennals1485]

@@rwdturbo This is what I thought too, it sounds like 10-12k at first, but that's panels. Plus transformers, converter, then tie them to grid power, and to your at home electronics safely, and the racks to hang them. The labor, and maybe insurance for regional weather? Hail tornado, 🌪, other things homeowners insurance maybe hesitate to cover.. ect. For sure it can be done cheaper but to what ends? maybe 15k over 30 yrs? Maybe?

[@neckarsulme]

Rule #1...Never buy anything from young people walking around your neighborhood in shorts and holding clip boards

[@jimbo3609]

Great video and very well explained. I really appreciate your honesty and give viewers the pros and cons.

[@liaminfinland1525]

Thank you for the video. It was very interesting to see the thought process that went into your decisions. It really helps out a young person like me who’s going to have to start doing this stuff soon one day. God bless you!

[@secretsquirrel6718]

Heres a nickles worth of free advice. Stay out of debt!

[@GodsQ]

@Liam Healy I think you will do well, because you're a thinking before person. BEFORE is really the time that matters. And you can research amazingly almost anything on youtube, and the internet. It is a blessing to see and hear others experience. Try looking at some of the survival or bush type ways, because you can do many of these things without all these big companies that will just try to "jack" you. It just depends on what you're willing to do, or have someone else do. But the smartest thing you have already done, is putting GOD in the equation : > GOD Bless YOU.

[@johnpeters9903]

super insulating the home would have been money well spent. i just don't see the benefit of solar. 25 years is way too long for any contract. technology is moving much faster than that.

[@SuitTV]

Yea but I'm saving 1k a year...

[@Bubba87]

@@SuitTV You saved $80 a month in exchange for a 25 year contract. Nothing about that is worth it. Like the OP said, tech moves way to quickly. Sorry friend, you got scammed.

[@feversol]

The more troubling calculation for me is the reliance on government supported SREC. As you said, without that, the installation wasn’t cost effective. The local government could easily change/remove that rendering the installation a great idea that isn’t financially viable.

[@SuitTV]

@@feversol the government wouldn't remove them, however the price can fluctuate depending on demand, so I'd say that's a bit more of a risk.

[@rh6625]

@@SuitTV No, your neighbor is paying you $1,000 a year so you can feel like you are saving. money. Maybe the neighbor will put gas in your tank every week and you can save that cost too.

[@josephskanks7231]

Thank you for the video. It certainly was enough to discourage me from ever going solar. Thanks again!

[@senseirbw2395]

Went around town yesterday and talked to 5 different people who had gotten solar and 4 out 5 had a good experience. The worst case was the installers didnt do their job right and there were leaks and worse than that the panels weren't producing the electricity they were supposed to. This is all covered by the company and should be fixed soon. However, the best case was a guy going from a $600 electric bill to a $340 solar bill. It was quite a big house and they have had solar for around a year and a half and plan on keeping their rebate. The other 3 had saved anywhere from $40-$100 every month and they were average sized homes. This is in Texas for reference

[@SuitTV]

I'm glad to see it's working out for them too. Thanks for sharing

[@tsicby]

If you're under the impression that they don't pay a monthly bill for electricity from the grid, you should get that thought out of your head. In addition to their "solar bill" which is mostly interest on the financing of their solar install, they are also paying a monthly power bill to their power company. Solar power only makes up about 45% to 50% of the average household's power needs when the sun is shining.

[@senseirbw2395]

@@tsicby you don’t know what you’re talking about. Some companies do 50 percent of your average usage while some do 100 percent. It’s all about what the customer wants. Also, having your solar connected to the grid means the grid takes your power and gives it back to you during hours sun isn’t shining. It only takes 5 hours of sunshine to gain enough energy for a full day. We take your average usage for past years of your home and use that information to calculate how many solar panels need to be installed. As for the bill part, you will only have to pay what your solar doesnt cover on high usage months. And when you have excess energy they will actually pay you. It’s important to go with a trusted company that doesn’t over estimate your energy usage and gives you a proper estimate.

[@senseirbw2395]

@@tsicby also the bill stays at a flat rate for the whole plan. More than likely adjusted to be lower than your average monthly bill where the seller can still make some sort of profit. Question, do you think your current electric bill will go up or down over the next 20 years? With inflation going the way it is you will be paying more than double by the end of the term. It is great protection from inflation

[@loganmclean6510]

@@tsicby LOL bro what have u been smoking

[@moisty254]

The global warming part is classic- the amount of carbon it takes to make all the panels, inverter etc is massive. Combine that with the old panels/inverters that are no longer compliant or cannot take battery inputs, being thrown out to take them, and the carbon footprint is, as they say 'yuge!

[@plinkspot8750]

Don't comment about carbon footprint if you haven't read various studies on the matter. From mining right through to final product solar produces 12x less carbon than natural gas and 20x less than coal. Only hydro, nuclear and wind produce less carbon g/kWh

[@moisty254]

@@plinkspot8750 how's the solar and lithium mining going for the environment you're so clearly worried about?

[@plinkspot8750]

@@moisty254 I'm no greenie, just stating the facts. Mining impact was included in the studies.

[@moisty254]

@@plinkspot8750 well then don't comment if you are a massive hypocrite. Pretending to care about the global warming fairies while the planet turns to a gigantic brown smudge from the mining and waste of those "carbon neutral industries" 🤣

[@ronniemullis8717]

I have had solar panels for ten years. I live in Georgia. In the beginning Georgia Power was paying me seventeen cents per KWH. But that only lasted for five years. About three or four years ago GP told the Ga. public service commission they wanted to end that program. Naturally the PCS agreed and GP cut the rate to 3.7 cent per KWH. I could go on and on about hidden cost of solar, like getting a 1099 every year from GP, then you had to add the amount of power you produced on to your income and pay tax on it. Plus there’s a lot more. Bottom line is Solar Panels will never pay for themselves.

[@tygoulding2547]

Geez that’s messed up. Pay taxes on something that the government incentivized you to get.

[@cammontreuil7509]

This global warming. And we get penalized if we do our part. Government against us on both sides no matter what we do.

[@johnwilliams4806]

All the info I’m seeing going solid is not worth the pain … I mean sure if you look at it 50 years from now but no it seems like a bad buy unless you have a lot of money to just buy them and save some but for the average person it don’t make sense to lease them and pay all this cost every time you turn around it’s something else …👎

[@AhJodie]

Thank you!

[@dadnovak9099]

This is exactly what I needed to see. I get the point behind going solar. But man it’s so expensive still and just doesn’t make sense

[@theBLAZE103five]

I think he went into very good detail. I like the enphase system. I'm 46 and my house is paid off now. But at the time of install, it was cost effective to do cash. But if I had to finance, it's not worth it to me. Glad you get srec

[@MrDarren5012]

40 grand for that system seems way too high...should be more like 16k to 20 k

[@SuitTV]

With the tax incentive it's really like 28k for the system. But agreed, since I bought back in 2018, prices have dropped considerably and you can get a better deal now.

[@kbob8424]

It's actually a fair price. 34 panels is about an 11kw system right? That system in my area would sell for about $50k on up. The problem is, to generate 12,300 kw per year in your area it requires allot more panels. Down here in the south, you can get the same production with about 20 panels. It would cost more per panel but lower overall. Thanks for posting.

[@nathanfleming1051]

Who's gonna want to buy the house later though with old panels. You will spend that $26000 to redo your roof cause the buyer don't want them or wants them replaced. Your storage cell replacement is another cost. Let alone if your roof needs repair to take the panels off and put them back on. Massive snow storms seems like it would be a head ache. I'm not sold at all. Good luck.

[@norwegianblue2017]

@@kbob8424 What region does he live in? The sunlight does look pretty soft compared to southern California. I would never have bought a solar system unless I was in a very sunny climate.

[@kbob8424]

@@norwegianblue2017 - he's up in NJ. You need twice the size system up there.

[@WATTYATHINK]

I almost installed solar panels through a company offering similar arguments for savings. However when I factored in insurance and maintenance costs relating to the panels and the break-even point for costs recoveries - I saw no advantage for the installation. I was 65 at the time and noted I was likely past the "best before date" to reap any benefits from the solar panels - particularly when I reviewed the potential costs for repair, upkeep, and possible obsolescence of the panels due to new energy developments.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

There is virtually zero maintenance for panels. If you insist on cleaning them constantly, that's your choice. Rain does that for you. As far as obsolesce goes, of course new technology will bring improvements, but that doesn't mean that the 20-30 year life expectancy of today's panels won't still reap the benefits of solar. Today's panels will produce clean energy just fine. The advantage I see to waiting is that panels of the future may be less unsightly than what we have now. Personally, I see panels on homes and I see progress towards a greener future. Some people see them as an eyesore.

[@CajunJosh]

Like the idea of solar but every single sales pitch I've heard suggesting that the return on investment is worth it depends on the net metering or energy buy-back. Given the pay-off of most systems is designed around a multi decade ROI it's too risky IMO when none of the buy back programs are guaranteed and can change anytime your electric contract is up for renewal. That variable is just too flexible to go out on a 10s of 1000's of dollar solar limb.

[@NightWolf-vv5me]

Well noone told you to sign up for the electric companies program scam. Buy them yourself and go off grid

[@CajunJosh]

@@NightWolf-vv5me my comment is referencing the sales pitch offered by each company and 100% of them to use buy back programs to justify the "solar savings"

[@masterscaron]

Most people start saving money the very first month due to the panels reducing your electric bill down to the $10 interconnection fee, and replacing it with a solar payment that is either the same or lower than what you were paying previously. Add to that the Solar payments either don’t increase at all, or increase by a maximum of 4% per year if you’re on the high end, it a no brainer to switch away from the utility company, which is a monopoly and raises rates every year at an average of 6%. Add to that once the system is paid off you receive free electricity and you have people saving tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars by going Solar.

[@CajunJosh]

That seems to be situational. In Texas we can chose from a long list of electric providers so we can typically shop around for electric rates that are far lower than most of the country. In addition to the initial cost of the solar system you've now increased the cost of a roof replacement which will likely happen around here every 10-15 years. Solar systems that I've seen are only warrantied for 30 years so they would need to pay for themselves and pay for their removal / re installation when the roof needs to be replaced in order to make sense. Hopefully as time goes on they can make more energy dense panels so installation and overall costs come down.

[@masterscaron]

@@CajunJosh they’re warrantied for 30 years and it only takes 12-25 to pay them off at a lower monthly bill than the average electric bill. You’re right it is most definitely situational but in most cases people are able to eliminate they’re current bill to the utility company by goin Solar and simply replace it with a lower payment for the solar panels that either never goes up or only goes up by a maximum of 4% per year, whereas utility companies will continue to raise rates every year, usually multiple times per year, by as much as they want, and as more people take advantage of going Solar those utility prices will only go up faster. Add to that that the upfront cost of going Solar has been removed for people who qualify and it’s a no brainer to take advantage of it. People are just unfortunately usually fairly low iq and unable to compute these types of variables in their head, so they just choose to pay more to the utility companies at 100% interest than even think about the fact that Solar will save them tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[@TROOPERfarcry]

I live in Georgia, and my house was/is also a good candidate. However, the total cost of the panels to be added was $20K (approximate).... and the value that it brings to your home is about 4.1% -- according to the internet. My home is ~$250K, so that raises the home-value by $10k. Spending $20k to get a $10 boost in value doesn't make sense. BUT... the amount that I save each month from the local power-company is.... about the same cost as the monthly payment for the solar panels. Now there is one factor that I'm leaving off: _what if electricity rates go up?_ They *will* go up, but when, and by how much? That's an unknown.... but will it be enough to off-set the $10k gap? Maybe.... but how long will that take? Will I still be in this house at that time? Bottom-Line: *There are too many variables to say with confidence either "Halt" or "Proceed" with solar-panels. BUT, I can say for absolute certain that if you believe you will be selling your home within a few years, you will NOT be better off financially.* One other thing: the company that was providing the quotes and service does not include any sort of battery with the home. You'll only benefit during sunny days, with essentially no benefit at night or cloudy weather. A "house-battery" *can* be purchased and installed, but it is also much more expensive to do so. And it is *not* possible (where I am) to "sell-back-excess-generated-electricity-to-the-grid". The only way that I figured I could make this make sense was literally to mine Bitcoin. Otherwise, solar is *not* a good decision for people in a situation similar to mine.

[@SuitTV]

Nice analysis. I agree with most of it, especially with not getting it if you plan to sell soon.

[@victory6468]

Think of it like this, your house's value increases by 0% if you stay with your electric company, and since you were supposedly paying the same for solar as your electric bill, you get a free $10k boost on your home value while paying a fixed rate that'll never increase

[@TROOPERfarcry]

@@victory6468 You can't sell your house if you're making payments on the solar panels... unless you have the solar-panels removed. Obviously the home can be sold *with* the panels if the solar-panels are fully paid off. If you get ready to move and you're still making payments, it will cost a hefty amount of money to have the solar-panels removed. Same answer as before: if you're planning to sell within about 6 years or less, the panels *do NOT* make sense.

[@kentclark6420]

Actually you get more energy during cloudy days with the panels.

[@benjones8977]

I built my own and I did it off grid. A lot cheaper, also I learned a lot. Just wish I’d known back then what I know now. It would’ve been a more efficient and less costly. But I can’t complain, as I didn’t pay anywhere near your costs. Mine was closer to around 15 K. I knew absolutely nothing about solar or batteries or electricity, but I had an interest.

[@benjones8977]

@@j.bridges2921 First I came from lead acid batteries and charge controller and inverter. So if I went straight to lithium, I would’ve saved money on that side. Also it’s important to understand charge controllers and solar panels, in order to maximize your PV panels for the right charge controller. The better understanding you have, the less you’ll spend. Then there’s the batteries, and overall your choice of whether to go 12 V, 24 V or 48 V. The higher the voltage the better the efficiency and less cost in losses. So understanding how to wire for the efficiency you want is critical. I learned that the math in finding your ratio of batteries to solar panels is critical also. So understanding how many batteries you need and solar panels for your specific situation. So I suggest you learn how to calculate watts, voltage, amps. This was one of my biggest downfalls, as I don’t know my math that well and there aren’t many videos or articles explaining it that well. I would start with basically three times as many batteries/watt hours or kilowatts as PV panels. I would start watching Will Prowses Channel. People need to remember there are so many variables, like wire size, fuses, busbars. Switches to turn off the battery power and PV. It all has to be done in the right sequence or you can damage your charge controllers. You also find out the voltage is more important than watts. I think it’s best to find somebody who’s done it and learn as much as you can from them. There’s so many things I didn’t know and had to learn as I went along. And example would be wiring your inverter first before connecting to your batteries to avoid sparking. Getting a tiny capacitor to avoid sparks. Like I said there’s a bunch of little things you need to understand before jumping in. But on the other hand if you wait for the perfect moment you will never do it. That’s why I started small and kept adding as I went along. The one nice thing about solar is you can add as you go. Just remember if you are going to do that, buy the biggest inverter at the highest voltage you can or you’ll just have to parallel another inverter and it will cost you more in the long run. The importance of knowing how to wire your PV panels to charge controller to get maximum wattage and still be under the voltage maximum. Anyway I’m probably confusing many here, so like I said read up and watch as many videos as you can, or better yet find somebody who’s done it before.

[@BC-hc5dq]

@@j.bridges2921 He would have left it to the pros. 😁👍

[@boydgrandy5769]

Without the subsidy, your roof is just covered with very expensive photovoltaic cells that are not cost effective and your power reliability is still based on the baseload generation in New Jersey. As they go off line, and they are (think Oyster Creek, for instance), you are going to have to learn how to live in a state with a third world power grid. Best of luck.

[@jameshumphrey3425]

Explain more I’m confused, his power reliability is based on the the generation of NJ? I thought having solar panels meant you’re disconnected/not drawing any power from the city. Thanks in advance

[@boydgrandy5769]

@@jameshumphrey3425 That would be incorrect, James. The solar panel system also includes a substantial battery installation (solar cells produce a dc voltage, the value of which is dependent on the strength of the sun light, the square footage of the panel and the cleanliness of the panel. If you choose not to have a battery system, your solar system will convert the dc power directly to house current (240/120vac). If the power level is high enough to run your house, the solar system will switch out the incoming grid power source (this can be made longer with an installed storage battery, which will run your house until it is discharged). If the demand on the solar system exceeds its capacity (not enough sunlight or the battery is discharged) , the system will automatically switch itself out of the house feed and reconnect to the grid. Really high end systems can stay connected all the time, and if you make more power than your house needs, it can monitor the power sent back out of your house to the power pole (grid). This is the part that the salesmen pound on. Unfortunately, depending on the square footage of your array, that may only result in a a few kilowatt MINUTES* per day. the same concept applies though; your meter will record that at least some or all of the power needed for your house is supplied by the grid, more at night or cloudy days (you get the point, right?). *power is sold per kilowatt hour. A 2000 square foot house will use about 32 KW Hours per day.

[@jameshumphrey3425]

@@boydgrandy5769 so basically a solar system is just a fancy generator that either produces, enough or to little power and depending on the outcome you’ll still pay conventional electric bills or sell the extra output back to the city?

[@bankerjew3262]

If you buy just the solar panel's you get energy, how can you store this energy without a battery? If you gave no battery then you're on two systems the city and you're solar panels you can't go off you're own power because you have no battery if you did then you can live off grid if the energy is enough, without the battery it's just trying to cut dollars out of you're bill not replace you're energy needs

[@willsmith475]

My thoughts are, when you have to redo your roof shingles. You will have to remove all that hardware.

[@richarddrum9970]

Ouch, that is a really good observation.

[@rollydoucet8909]

The contracts stipulate that you maintain the panels for a predetermined time period. During that period, you are completely responsible for them. You can't change your mind, and remove them, except to repair or replace your roof/shingles, then the panels must be returned to the roof, as the contract states. Should your house ever have a fire emergency, the fire departments will not direct water at anything that is electric, so your house burns while the firefighters ensure that nearby structures are protected. This raises issues with home insurance providers. In our part of the world, the hydro generated is fed to the grid, meanwhile we still buy hydro from the utility company, and any money received from the hydro company is considered revenue and is taxable. Then, we have to consider that not every day is a nice sunny day, wintertime means shorter daylight hours and often snow-covered roofs or solar panels. So, are solar panels good? Yes. Are they cheap? No. Are there any problems to be expected? Yes.

[@juliaweber212]

@@richarddrum9970 exactly

[@RussCR5187]

If you get lucky (like I was for a brand new house) the panels were installed at the same time as the shingles, and they have similar lifetimes. So they might naturally be replaced at the same time. But that's for the next owner to worry about. I'll be dead by then.

[@DavidALovingMPF102]

As I recall, everything comes off except connection boxes , a 4x4 box where wires go into the attic. These are at each end of a row of panels. I think they were lifted up and then re-rtv'd,screwed onto new roof. Our yard is big enough to have the panels on poles in our side yard, but they would have blocked the view of the mountain, and no room for future sheds. We also got rid of the swamp cooler duct (plenum?) that the swamp cooler sits on. I had removed the cooler myself years ago when we switched over to refrig. air and left the duct covered. Now we have more room for more panels.

[@Aegelis]

Greetings from your neighboring state Delaware. Thanks for going through the numbers and discussing. I'd also be interested in hearing about efficiency, maintenance cost, and what happens when the panels get damages. All the best and blessings be.

[@TELEVISIONARCHIVES]

It doesn't help when all of these sleazy companies knock on doors and lie about being from the power company

[@nico8587d]

How many years can a person get on these panels before they need replacement?

[@plusbonus1165]

@@nico8587d till the next hail storm. Luckily I was insured.

[@nico8587d]

@@plusbonus1165 Lol. I didn’t think of that.

[@kbob8424]

@@nico8587d - industry standard is 25 years. They are warrantied against hail damage, since they are supposed to be able to take it, so they'll cover the replacement. In the case they don't, your home insurance should. You have to add them on. For us cost went up about $50 per year.

[@kbob8424]

Yeah I hear you. They are ruining it and giving solar a bad name.

[@azycray4801]

Live and learn young man, we all make mistakes. I also think you got abused by the solar company and the bank. Are you kidding me, 6% for 25 years, that's worse than the mortgage for the house it is attached to. And how about the batteries for storage? They won't last as long as the panels will they? They are one of the most expensive items to replace. So you probably could have gotten a better deal with some good advice from a knowledgeable person but that is water under the bridge now. The bottom line is that the payment isn't much more than you would be paying the electric company, so something you can live with. Chalk it up to a learning experience and ask for opinions beforehand on the next big purchase. And beware of any sales person who says they are there to help you, no mater what they are selling. They are there to make as much money off you as you will let them. Knowledge is power.

[@truthseeker1833]

I dont think these solar systems have battery banks. They are hard wired straight to the meter. So when the sunshines you could sometimes put energy back to the system to where the electric company owes you. However it never ends up that way. If this system doesn't produce enough energy on cloud coverage then youre still tied to the grid. I would never buy this system

[@Gruuvin1]

No batteries in a grid tie system (which also means that when the power goes out, you still don't have electricity, even though you have $60k of PV sitting up there). The output of the panels degrades year after year, so in 25 years they won't be anything like current technology.

[@Gruuvin1]

@Jimmy Riddle What some electric companies pay you per kWh of electricity you supply to the grid, vs what they charge you per kWh you consume from the grid, is about half. You pay all that cost to produce, they make just as much as you do. The grid is expensive, so they deserve to make something, but it makes more sense to store into batteries enough electricity to keep your home powered for a couple days, if the grid goes down.

[@Gruuvin1]

@Jimmy Riddle to me, solar panels + mega-storage makes sense where the grid is not available, too costly for hookup, or too unreliable. Also grid-tie (no storage) makes sense only if the power company pays a reasonable price per kWh and you can build your solar panel array for a low cost. The government stepping in and manipulating the market by forcing taxpayers to pay part of the bill, is total bullshit!

[@annpi1961]

No doubt.... wonder what dirty politician owns shares in these companies screwing people then giving them credit with taxpayers funds. Global warming my behind. He got had.

[@black12212]

$41 GRAND !!!!!??? Even with the tax incentive. Idk man 😩

[@dennisfahlstrom7422]

You bet. Especially since solar equipment prices have dropped dramatically in the last decade. I bought a system for my last home that cost 23k and after fed and state rebates it was 12k. The same size system on my current home this year cost 29k (21,5k after rebates). It is more efficient but much more costly even though the equipment prices have dropped by more than half. All these solar outfits are making big profit and some - like this poor guy in NJ are getting scalped.

[@jackracherthomas7739]

Another thing to factor in is after you pay off the loan. It’s yours to keep as an asset. It’s like owning a home or renting a home.

[@ctclimberguy34]

@@jackracherthomas7739 but after you pay them off in 25yrs, how good will they still be?

[@SuitTV]

@@ctclimberguy34 yea not very good

[@deandalapanda]

@@jackracherthomas7739 it’s not his lol check the contract. He doesn’t get to keep the panels after paying it off

[@manishmandal-78]

It is almost similar here in Calcutta, India. Even in best case scenario it will take 7 - 8 years just to recover the installation cost. Then there will be maintenance, specially of the batteries. Which will make cost recovery even longer.

[@bbbae5968]

Are the batteries considered hazardous waste when no longer usable?

[@chrismaxny4066]

You don't need batteries for a grid tied system.

[@DavidJohnson-bl4ps]

Manish, batteries are not needed, and in fact are not a good financial investment yet. However Solar panels certainly are very valuable for 25 - 30 years. I am in Sydney Australia, my 5.5kw of panels paid for themselves in about 5.5 years. so for the next 20 years at least I am paying reduced electricity bills, and reducing my carbon footprint, which is negative with respect to electricity. Then the panels can be recycled. There is no downside at all.

[@NightWolf-vv5me]

Who said the electric company's program is the only choice? Seems scammy. Get your own solar panels and go off grid.

[@kentclark6420]

But after that, it's all profit. No more energy bills.

[@packytrucker5652]

What you seem to have missed it maintenance costs. After 2 1/2 years my batteries have failed. 12v batteries are about $100 apiece. I have 18 batteries. I can't afford to replace them. No it's not worth it!

[@reid1boys]

Batteries? who th ehell has batteries? My solar feeds right into the electric grid, and the electric grid feeds into my house.

[@azhockeynut8297]

@@reid1boys without storing it you lose the ability to have it in reserve when the grid or panels are not available see the recent issues in Texas for reference. Some level of storage makes sense

[@reid1boys]

@@azhockeynut8297 IN ca, at least where I am in Norcal, you dont have that option. Your system is tied into the grid. My solar panels do NOT POWER my house, They feed into the grid. My house gets its power from the grid. If power is shut down in my neighborhood, I lose my power like everyone else... yep, a real bummer. IM guessing that is the power companies attempt to keep a grip on all of us. My point being, batteries arent an option here, and right now, batteries are super expensive and inefficient anyways.

[@azhockeynut8297]

@@reid1boys yeah that sucks. They totally are expensive. I believe better storage tech will come sooner or later but storage is a big deal. We can't always generate on demand (nightime, icing, rain, etx) systems will improve over time lots of smart people working those problems im sure

[@reid1boys]

@@azhockeynut8297 no doubt. The technology is getting better and better. The efficiency of the panels are improving drastically as well as the efficiency of the panels. Ca passed a law to require all new houses to have solar. IM not sure of the exact specifics of the law, but no doubt this will drive the costs down. In a state like Ca, there is no reason to not have solar on all houses. All these people on here bashing solar are mostly misinformed. Id like to see the electric companies be removed from the process. They push for regulations that protect their asses, regardless of what is better for us. For example, you can only have a system that basically produces what your house will use. Another example is having to pay a $20 fee to be connected to the grid. This fee is supposed to cover maintenance..... even though all of our power lines are under ground..... not much maintenance needed there. The state tax credits ran out several years ago and the federal tax credit that was 30% 4 years ago is now down to 26% and dropping every year. Bottom line is that these alternative power sources are the future. When the price of batteries drop as well as the size of the batteries, there will be no reason not to have enough panels on a house that generates enough power to be 100% self efficient year round. People need to come into the 21st century.

[@paulkooistra7702]

He’s trying to convince himself he didn’t get taken.

[@kbob8424]

Na he did fine. He's not giving his money away. Would you rent a car instead of buying one? I mean besides the car payment you have to insure it, put gas in it, maintain it and eventually it'll break down, you'll have to fix it, only to buy another one in 7 - 10 years and start all over again! But people do this with no problem. Energy prices will continue to rise but hey someone has to pay them right?

[@MarkAdrian4RealReal]

Yeah. He is trying to justify his wrong decisions.

[@LOBOIV]

Even if his electric bill gets to the point where he has a $0.00 bill every month, he still has a $260 per month payment for 25 years for the solar panels he installed on his house. He got jacked.

[@kbob8424]

@@LOBOIV - he applied the credit towards his loan. That kept his payment at $180. In 10 yrs electric rate avg will be more than current $180 avg but he'll still be paying $180. In 25yrs monthly avg will be WAY over $200. At that point he won't have the solar payment. Plus in 25yrs you would have given the electric company over $60,000 with NOTHING to show for it. It's like renting a house for 25 yrs then moving out. Who would want to waste that amount of $$?

[@jimlee3830]

Might last 15 years

[@jasonthomas-hl7qw]

So exchanging $150 a month for $180 a month?🤔

[@mikemike1411]

Thats what I was thinking. Idk. Maybe it’s worth it after everything is all paid off but a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow. So if u factor in future value (which I havent) he probably isnt saving anything. Especially when you factor in maintenance and possible battery and panel replacement costs.

[@eyesuckle]

@@mikemike1411 You may have a valid point about the actual monetary savings. Maybe he'll only break even in the long run. I like to think that he sleeps a little better at night knowing he at least tried to do the right thing. There's a cost to continuing on our merry way while the biosphere dies around us. This man took a positive step, which I admire.

[@zarthemad8386]

add in the extra costs to remove and re-install the panels when he replaces the roof (25-30k in his area) and he is fucked.

[@Mark.Watson]

Appreciate you sharing your experience. I'd be concerned that it might be difficult to sell your house in the future. There will likely be improved technology available which will be less expensive and more efficient.

[@Tukayo69]

That is a fair point, however, Solar panels that are tier one quality, are pretty much at their peak until any new breakthroughs happen, which are not predictable. And with guaranteed maintenance and 85%+ output, it is important to take into account the benefits are in place to start moving towards power production with a much less damaging net carbon footprint. I hear alot about mining and transport of minerals in the comments. And although that does indeed carry a carbon foot print, that is completely engulfed by the carbon footprint of mining fossil fuels and coal and their consistency of use, not to mention their burning for Power. Solar is a more green plunge to take, no matter how you slice it. The real problem to solve is the recycling/disposal of panels, which is where the real process/technological breakthroughs need to happen. Cheers!

[@scottnorris5683]

I would install all my own solar system, myself. If it requires licensed contractor, I would hire a local contractor and be on the job everyday for the week or however long it takes. Forget about any credits, forget about selling back power to the state, etc. This solar is getting way out of hand and turning into one big scam. Unbelievable. It should be as simple as: Buying, installing the panels, batteries and charge controllers. That's it. Free electricity!!!

[@mixerguru]

my feelings exactly cant get a straight answer

[@Tweatie88]

This!!

[@thecommentwhisperer4360]

it won't be free. its about money and controlling the population. you will pay taxes on the "free" solar energy produced. you will not own your own panels and the government will control how the electricity produced is allocated. that's right you'll be making free solar energy and you will pay for the install and you will still pay taxes or a fee on what is produced and you will have no rights to the electricity produced.

[@scottnorris5683]

@@thecommentwhisperer4360 there's videos of people who install there own panels and solar equipment themselves, lol but I know what you are saying. They will go door to door in the future. They will put all kinds of rediculas conditions or pay fines, etc. I'm not blind to what's coming.

[@thecommentwhisperer4360]

@@scottnorris5683 people think the powers that be are going to just let people produce their own electricity and be energy self sufficient? They'll never let it happen.

[@djurgens76]

Yes that is true, it is hard to calculate the total savings because the cost of energy will infact continue to rise. Right now it rises at 8% per year which is the maximum allowed by the government.

[@SuitTV]

Oh wow I didn't realize it was that much of a raise every year. That means even more cost savings long term.

[@MYTOMMYGO]

Yes, 8% is probably correct in energy cost additions. One other thing to factor is there will be about a 2% per year decrease in solar production as the panels wear and the plastic becomes cloudy, ever so slightly but it does.

[@franklevantini3239]

Where I live in puetro rico electricity goes up about 21 percent every year. Not 8 percent. Now rate is .32 cents per kilowatt

[@timsoltys3344]

The problem with solar is it is heavily subsidized. To be fair and honest the life cycle economics should be run without the subsidize....and for transparency, tax payers are covering the subsidizes. In addition what is the cost to replace and recycle those solar panels after 25yrs. How much energy was required to manufacture the solar panels. Just saying....we need to transparent.

[@Somenite]

Big oil gets tons of subsidies as well and it is considerably more than the subsidies going to alternate energy. Solar has a long way to go but it won't get there if the US is still handing out huge subsidies to big oil and willing to commit US Forces to keep flows out of the middle east uninterrupted so market prices are stable unless there are subsidies to alternate energy sources as well.

[@dalejensen5828]

@@Somenite Claimed oil subsidies is a false narrative used. Big oil pays a lot of taxes, major tax base contributor in oil producing states.

[@Somenite]

@@dalejensen5828 Big oil pays but well below companies in other industries thanks to direct subsidies. In 2014, Exxon paid an effective tax rate of 13%, Conoco paid 18% and Chevron 19% largely thanks to subsidies. Based on size/profits they should have been paying around the top corporate rate of 35% at the time. That doesn't even take into account indirect subsidies and the money the US spends on the military to protect oil overseas. Exxon tried to defend subsidies a few years back and claimed they paid a higher by factoring in state gas taxes taken on their product at the pump as well as payroll taxes taken from their employees. I'm not attacking the oil subsidies because energy is so critical to our country but think we need to give these alternate energy companies a chance to avoid falling behind other countries moving forward with the technology.

[@Joe-sn6ir]

@@Somenite just stop. oil companies don't get subsidies. and like dale said, they pay a lot in taxes. i live in an oil producing state. i matters a lot.

[@Somenite]

@@Joe-sn6ir Oil companies get all kinds of subsidies and tax breaks not available to other industries. From waterway transport tonnage taxes to the way their assets are valued for tax reporting. That is the reason they averaged about a 20% rate when the US corporate rate was 35%. They also get very favorable lease agreement rates on federal land. Just this past April when the domestic oil industry was struggling the POTUS made the announcement “We will never let the great U.S. Oil & Gas Industry down" and had his people make funds available at favorable terms and loaded up the strategic reserves to keep prices up. To be clear, I'm not saying any of that is wrong because we need to support our energy industries but I'm saying the technology behind alternative energy is going to get better and the US can be part of it and improve our energy independence by helping its industry or watch China develop and profit from it at our expense. Helping Solar/Wind overcome high R&D costs by helping with tax breaks is not much different than the money the US government fronted for decades for hydro projects like the Hoover dam or the nuclear plants that followed.

[@Rod-bp8ow]

Investments are details, every detail is applied/implemented and it is a PLUS.

[@mpac418]

I was looking into Solar. Had a consultation the other day. I appreciate the review. Update: Sept 14, 2021. Decided against doing solar. Since my bill is a constant 94 dollars a month, 12 months a year with the program I am on in Las Vegas. Also the with Solar, of the house is not your forever home it will be very hard to sell.

[@shifty1664]

No it wouldn’t lol it would actually be easier or the same to sell, it’s just like having a pool, that may make people want the home or not

[@shifty1664]

@@YokomoHoyo obviously 😂😂 you add more panels when that happens, yes it’ll be more expensive, but way cheaper than paying your utility company, it’s common sense

[@TheR1200clc]

Wow, it is going to take you 25 years to get that 20K, it seems to me if you put that same amount into a good fund or some kind solid bond you would be light years ahead!

[@Align700nitro]

And wish the panel actually last that long, and no wind/hail damage out of nowhere...

[@netfolks]

@@Align700nitro Then there is cost of removal & replace when roof repair is needed. There's also the huge carbon footprint to make those specialty chemical items, by digging, mining the stuff worldwide over large swaths of the Earth's surface to get them, AND later somehow safely dispose of it all SOMEWHERE.

[@Align700nitro]

@@netfolks Oh yeah, just like electric cars, They need several tons of lithium rich rock to extract enough lithium for just one battery. Once they start full scale production of electric cars same as their gasoline brother, I don't know how it would work out....

[@iamasmurf1122]

Hahaha bonds and good funds ? Are you a baby boomer ! The reality is if you want to get decent returns you want control over your money ; your best bets not fiat currency’s it’s crypto ; and research shares yourself and buy shares directly ; managed funds are actually rip off artists in fees and in bad investments they make on your behalf ; as for bonds ?! Bonds have to be the biggest con job around it’s based on the fiat currency’s which are on the verge of collapse

[@TheR1200clc]

@@iamasmurf1122 Look Genus, judging from your response you know it all already. My point was no so much a bond, Although some municipal bonds did have a good yield in years past. Crypto, is putting all of your eggs into one basket with how volatile crypto can be is a recipe for disaster. Obviously you are not in favor for quality social discourse, you cite absolutely NO facts, only platitudes.

[@leoduperron5072]

All very interesting... Your real problem as I see it is when you plan to sell your home. Very few people will want to buy your home with old panels on the roof but more so is who will want to eat up the remaining part of that solar contract? My guess is you will have to buy it out and try to remove and sell the out of date and old panels and system inside your home. All that savings may be for not. Maybe you have a buy out clause but I would plan for this. Very few young people stay in their home for 25 years or longer.

[@kbob8424]

Update: our rates as going up this Nov. I currently pay .10/kw with solar. Current rates are .12/kw. Rates are going up 13.4% so new rate is .135/kw. Increased savings!! I would buy a house with solar, no problem. Say hey sold in 10 years, chances are per month avg (for same usage) on electricity will be more than the $180 he's currently locked into.

[@stephenwalton7079]

Most solar installations are actually paid for via a HELOC arrangement. When you go to sell, you’ll pay it off when you close. Here in Florida that’s how most sales are structured. The way the systems work, if the grid goes down, you can only access one 110v outlet in your house. You’ll still need a generator of some kind to keep your refrigerator etc. going. The systems are pushed by the Florida power companies and supported by laws that the public blindly voted in because they sounded good the way they were peddled. If you get a robust system that offers power independence, you’re pretty much on your own. The way it’s structured here, the power companies don’t have to build as many power plants by way of tax payer funded subsidies(tax credits) and homeowner funded equipment/liability. All while remaining firmly tethered to the grid. Win, win, win for big electron. If you like solar, go for it. Just know what you’re buying, it’s real capabilities and costs.

[@kbob8424]

@@stephenwalton7079 - all I can say it's what I've mentioned before, its all relative. Maybe most in Florida are (HELOC) but not everywhere else. Yes electric companies that supposedly are for green energy are only in it if you follow their rules, and if EVERYONE is getting taxed (subsidy) only to give those going solar a credit, that's messed up. They try to sell solar like it's straight forward... all relative to where you live.

[@jimkirby9959]

"All that savings may be for not" in English is written "All that savings may be for nought."

[@Eric2300jeep]

@@kbob8424 Be careful! Most solar companies have a hidden clause that allows them to raise your "locked in" monthly payment if the price of electricity goes beyond a certain percentage of normal! Lots of scams with these solar companies.

[@billnipp2309]

I just signed up with trinity yesterday for 26 panels here in NJ. We shall see how it goes. ty

[@garthgaspar7216]

Wait your electric bill was only $150 a month for that big house and you still decided to go solar? SMH

[@ApartmentKing66]

Well, when you buy into the "saving the environment" and "global warming" horseshit kids are spoon-fed in school, you're easier to con...vince.

[@HerMajesty1]

@@ApartmentKing66 yes and the eaths sun cycle is getting ready to power down into a solar minimum. Perhaps grand solar minimum. All of this is about fleecing the taxpayers

[@Align700nitro]

@@ApartmentKing66 Gear up on mining operation to extract precious metal through astonish amount of earth is "environmental saving"...

[@RyanWillis227]

@@ApartmentKing66 denying climate change?

[@pokerman9108]

@@RyanWillis227 guessing they don't live in the NW right now... also Id bet they haven't driven by a large reservoir lately.

[@tonychristensen6714]

I can't believe the cost of the system!!! What size system is it? I'm in Australia and I've just ordered a 10.3kw system with quality solar edge inverter and quality panels installed by a reputable electrician solar specialist for $9500 AUD

[@maxpowers4903]

Right? You can buy an entire house for that price in Missouri, lol

[@tonychristensen6714]

@@maxpowers4903 i wonder why

[@HadoukenGr]

10kw system with 4 hours of good sun per day (on average) is producing 14,400 kwh per year. Of course he might be getting more or less sun hours on average depending on his location but i cant imagine he would have anything more than 15kw in solar panels judging by his estimated 12,300 kwh per year. So the price he paid is way too high, unless he is using a bunch of lithium ion batteries. I am willing to bet that a big chunk of the cost was for the installation and possibly inflated prices for the materials.

[@fishhuntadventure]

@@HadoukenGr And you have spoken the truth

[@sturmbreakers7817]

@@HadoukenGr yeah he got robbed

[@danielzunigagutierrez6300]

No matter what we do, eléctric and gas company have us by the balls (govt.). I remember changing all my lightbulbs to energy savers at once and my bill went up.

[@ilyas5708]

Wow

[@HerMajesty1]

And those LEDs cause cataracts. That why Trump made incandescents legal to buy agsin. That's probably been overturned now.

[@regalsurvivor3418]

Lol yup

[@JoshuaClinard]

Then you did it wrong. My bill went way down when I installed LED.

[@ifitsfreeitsforme1852]

@@HerMajesty1 I didn't know that . Is there some link to share this information ?

[@afnDavid]

Thank you Alexx. Never give up. never give in.

[@mlhowe67]

I was confronted by a solar panel door-to-door salesman yesterday. His pitch was the labor to install was no charge and the cost of the panels would be rolled in to my monthly bill. I asked what the cost of the panels were. "That's rolled in to the monthly bill." was his response. I would be better off adding the 16-20k to my 401k than the savings from solar panels.

[@iamasmurf1122]

Wrong 401Ks are garbage there are some crypto coins that you put $16,000 on some people have become multimillionares overnight ; ! You really have no clues just like all the other financial drop kicks claiming what to do

[@johnjay6370]

You my just NAILED IT!!!! 100%

[@vr_bob]

@@iamasmurf1122 Are you an idiot?

[@jaytee5500]

@@iamasmurf1122 crypto is a big NO!!

[@altha-rf1et]

ours is lease not owned, if we sell the next person can take over the lease

[@99skychief]

Great video and very informative! I hope all of your efforts and investment cost will yield huge savings. I have a few questions: 1. Currently only 8 states offer SREC which is politically driven, so it does raise the concern of how long will these SREC will be available for you to have this advantage 2. The interest Rate you are paying is very high, did you consider a refinance of your home for a much lower interest rate of under 3% for 25 years? 3. Will the efficiency of the panels be what they are now when 25 years have passed? 4. Here in California, we did have these credits to sell electricity back to the Electric service provider, PG&E, but now this does not exist. 5. Your roof covering will need to be replaced about every 10 years, how will this work with having these solar panels attached? 6. The panels seem to be bolted down to your roof structure, are you worried about water leaks and stress from Winter winds blowing across your house? 7. Your calculations are based on you keeping our house for 25 years, which would be the exception rather than the rule, would these panels be prohibitive to the new buyers who will not get the solar tax credit and possibly the new buyers will not want 25 year old solar panels on the roof?

[@R281]

Shingles typically last longer than 10 years.

[@Matthew-li7we]

@@R281 I personally love metal roofs. 40 year roof life.

[@kiro4279]

I'm concerned about the third point too.

[@CoroaEntertainment]

"Your roof covering will need to be replaced about every 10 years, how will this work with having these solar panels attached?" Many roofs can last 15-20 years, unless they are hit with very high winds. The biggest wear factors for an asphalt shingle roof, is weather (ie, rain, snow and sun damage). Solar panels help protect the asphalt single from that stuff, which means a person could very easily see a much longer shingle life than the typical 15-20 years.

[@rileycrain5784]

These are real questions that should be answered.

[@scottplooster1315]

What you also didn't take into account is removing the system and reinstalling when you need a new roof. Your roof doesn't look new so it will likely need to be done before your 25 years are up.

[@SuitTV]

Yes I should of mentioned in the video that I had in my contract that they would do that whenever I needed at no additional charge

[@kerrytodd3753]

@@SuitTV good luck with that…….good video

[@randolphh8005]

In Florida asphalt shingle roofs usually need to be replaced every 15 years to be able to get homeowners insurance. That requires the removal and reinstall of the entire solar array. Most people are not factoring that in. The roof is normally 10-15 k plus ?a few more thousand for the panel removal and reinstall.

[@stevenk-brooks3459]

SuitTV has started a great discussion about the pros and cons of purchasing a solar voltaic system. He has been gracious in welcoming all comments, including critical opinions.

[@sambacon1815]

How long will the panel last? Will they need to replaced. Who pays for that? What if you need to replace the roof? I think you need to consider this in your savings.

[@williamwingo4740]

That's one of the big drawbacks for me. In Dallas years ago we had our roof damaged by hailstorms--twice--and then had to have a complete overhaul to fix multiple major leaks. Solar panels would have made it a lot more complicated.

[@gainerman]

That's what I'm talking about . Roofs last practically forever in places they dont have hail and microbursts .you guys in western Massachusetts wanna compare insurance costs with me let's get it on I'm interested in the solar and maybe combo hot water system , if it can absorb the beatdown my roof would otherwise take .that's what the salesman should be pitching

[@mattcero1]

Pretty good video. Accountants are cringing that present and future values of money are not used. Yup, if the government didn't get involved, it would not be worth it.

[@LOBOIV]

Yes, I was cringing at the spreadsheet part. The numbers don’t make sense. He stated that the “Government cut a check for $12,000” for the rebate. That’s not how the tax credit for solar panel installation works. This whole video sounded more like a low pressure sales pitch.

[@josephward6422]

Sadly, the government gets in the way way too much. Open market, supply and demand!

[@Scott-cu4ol]

you forgot one important fact. solar panels produce less and less electricity every year. by the time you get to year 10 you’re only generating half of the electricity you did that year one. I spent $34,000 in 2019 installing 43 panels and I can tell you that financially it is not a good investment.

[@peteinthedesert7082]

Scott...took a while for someone to say this, I appreciate you. I live in the desert. Solar panels are quite plentiful out here, but they degrade quickly. Also, annual sandstorms have a way of wrecking and/or degrading the panels faster than normal. Talking with a number of home owners and people in the solar business...Any system out here that's over 10-12 years old needs to be replaced.

[@Scott-cu4ol]

@@peteinthedesert7082 When I tell the truth on Facebook I get lots of hate. But I’m in the northeast in the state of Maine and 30% of the year the panels are covered in snow. I would’ve been better off buying tax free municipal bonds.

[@AkioWasRight]

There's also the maintenance cost that gets ignored. A simple layer of dust can reduce the collection efficiency by 50%. So, to get the claimed output from the panels, they must be cleaned regularly, as often as the get dirty, which gets expensive. On service can be a minimum of a $200. For complicated panels sets, it can be $500+.

[@nikkilovetheyardsale-again2608]

I tell you what... this dude has literally explained and showed all the math if just how extremely important it is to go solar and whst to do and what not to do and the average percentage of profit>purchase rate.. very easy to follow and like him I too live in NJ so of course I've been doing SO MUCH RESEARCH ON THIS MATTER and trying to look into the state laws and if it worth it or if it's a nightmare... first off I need a new roof for the solar panels my home is from 1972 easy.. maybe before... I've just renovated and am STILL in the process of making everything modern in my home and this is 6 years into it... so the extra cost of a roof just isn't in my budget right now... if I could finance one of those I'd ne ok but I can't do both at all... so I really appreciate this man teaching me the options and showing his work so I too can do that same thing... very nice presentation man. You did So good and if nothing else I absolutely 100% learned way more then the years of research I've been doing be myself as a single mom.. so thank you so very much man... I SO MUCH APPRECIATE the time you took to do this!!! sp if you changed one person life with this video I think your doing something.... I KNOW way more then me have got the just from this video... very easy to follow tysm!!😄 your mom should be proud 😊

[@SuitTV]

Glad to have helped!

[@r3dhorse]

The upfront cost for this system is too high compared to others. For that amount of solar it shouldn't be more than 25k after rebates. It's still great you took the plunge by I think they overcharge by a lot.

[@Kenny-bj2zq]

Also, please make sure you get a good installed that has been around and is financially sound. Because if your Solar goes down and doesn't work and that company is out of business no Solar company will make repairs they will tell you that can replace it with there designs but they can't fix it since they didn't install it different equipment, liability, etc...

[@dufus2273]

i noticed that you had not factored in panel replacement and storage cells replacement. those panels have a pretty short life. They will not make 25 years. replace them in 10 -12 years and your back at square one.another 42k.

[@jeremygraves3645]

I've had my solar panels since 2010 and they're producing 85% of the energy when they were installed. They have not required any maintenance. Saying they need to be replaced in 10-12 is not true.

[@kbob8424]

Industry standard is 25 yr production warranty for most reputable panels.

[@adambrosemann4852]

I have a 12kw system here in AZ and I’ve been saving an average of $65 a month over the last two years. The value in solar is long term. It also depends on the location. Here in AZ we get 311 days of pure sunshine so my panels probably generate a lot more energy than say someone in NY.

[@andrewdoesyt7787]

I know how you say it’s long term, but don’t solar panels need to be replaced?

[@adambrosemann4852]

@@andrewdoesyt7787 My panels will have paid for themselves by around year 12. I have a 30year full coverage warranty on the system and the panels. I should get 18 years of extremely reduced or completely eliminated electric bills. Just make sure if you get panels to check over the quality of the panels and the warranties the company offers.

[@neerand]

@@adambrosemann4852 good luck with 30 years.

[@tomrecny6437]

Good job. Very straightfwd. I have a similar 31 panel array on my barn roof in upstate NY. Similar result... investment only works with a hefty Fed and NYS subsidy. In NY, the SREC equivalent is provided up front as a lump sum tax credit.

[@VictoriaNakaraKizer]

I would have insulated my attic, and changed to double glass windows before I ever considered solar, and especially if my electricity bill was only $150.

[@DavidALovingMPF102]

I added to the attic insulation and have replaced 8 windows.. 10 more to go.

[@tluva1020]

😂

[@fredhargraves6348]

So in reality all the tax payers are paying for your system. Without that you are losing a ton of money

[@p.chuckmoralesesquire3965]

I have watched a couple of these types of break-down videos and I think that is really the elephant in the room.

[@garytomlinson7580]

Not really... y’all are very ignorant to the fact that you will be paying more for somthjng you will never own and will be paying double than people that have solar power because inflation is a bitch 🤷🏼‍♂️ edit: the avg power bill back on 1999 was 85 dollars in North Carolina and if you use the same amount of energy in 2021 you’re spending 145 dollars now so tell me that solar isn’t cost effective 🤷🏼‍♂️ edit edit: another thing the tax credit you get back is on the taxes you paid at the end of the year not others taxes 👍🏻

[@ApartmentKing66]

@@garytomlinson7580 So, what solar panel company do you work for?

[@burt5182]

Apparently the Federal government has mandated us tax payers pay for this system via the states requirement to generate green energy. In addition having invested in these solar panels would sure complicate things should an owner decide to sell their house because they no longer wished to do all the SREC related paperwork or any other reason for that matter.

[@budders9958]

Not really tax payers, more like rate payers.

[@patglenn7762]

This honestly sounds like more of an eco-scam to me. If it wasn't for the taxpayer funded little bonuses you wouldn't have "saved" (you really didn't) a single solitary dime!

[@mariasharinadequit4768]

This is glorious, I have been researching "does having solar panels save money" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you ever come across - Aanarter Exceptional Ascendancy - (just google it )? It is a great one-off product for discovering how to learning how to get free power without hard work. I've heard some awesome things about it and my mate got cool results with it.

[@drfeelgood5870]

Only worth the hassle if you have battery storage.

[@patglenn7762]

@@drfeelgood5870 Not even sure if it's worth it then, given the limited lifespan of batteries. Only 5 - 8 years even for deep cycle. Granted, this technology is a great improvement over what we had back in the '70's but it still has a long way to go before I'm sold.

[@drfeelgood5870]

@@patglenn7762 Most batteries are 10yrs minimum. If you are spending 5k for 5 kw panels and storage you can get a return up to £1000 per year or a saving of £1000 a year . I rent a council house in the UK and the local council just installed 3kw panels for nothing , no storage , no batteries . I am still saving £5 - £10 a week in bills and that is without storage capabilities.

[@patglenn7762]

@@drfeelgood5870 If you're getting 10 years, then you're outstandingly lucky. That's not what even the manufacturers claim for their products.

[@kyleongesii2601]

I have 10k off grid solar system for littke over2yrs and i could say im loving life right now.

[@DB-xp9px]

i've had a long-held interest in going solar but here in michigan, the payoff is too slow and the unknowns still too large. i've focused on making my home as efficient as possible which is so much easier to measure. still, i can't help but feel envy for those in CA/AZ/TX that make most of the videos saying they are happy w/ their choice to go solar.

[@williamgullett8071]

I grew up in Michigan and stayed until my mid 20s. We would sometimes go 40...50..even 60 days with no sun because it was overcast...and this wasn't the winter months it would be October and November. How can solar panels work when there is such long periods of no sun?

[@DB-xp9px]

@@williamgullett8071 exactly why u so rarely see the panels in michigan

[@Diana1000Smiles]

Some Humans understand Climate Change.

[@Diana1000Smiles]

@@williamgullett8071 I lived in Michigan, too, about 7 inches from Cook Nuclear Plant. My electric bills were gargantuan, so I moved back to Indiana where a coal fired Plant spewed coal dust into my lungs. Which was worse?

[@williamgullett8071]

@@Diana1000Smiles The coal dust if it was that bad...but was it that bad?

[@billtuckjr2834]

We got solar and were promised twenty years of maintenance. The company lost there licence and went Bankrupt. They never came once to check our solar instalitaion? But three years into it no problems. To get a yearly service agreement is $ 600.00 per year. At the end of twenty five years you have basically junk. Your system is worn out! This is definitely for the young people. Not seniors who will most likely be gone before the benefits kick in.

[@cammontreuil7509]

Could be true. Adopt a good mechanic to keep your car going. Adopt a friend to keep a look at your solar system. The people in my neighborhood know I'm a smart guy and can fix almost anything. They see me roofing my own house rebuilding engine in my own car painting my cars and growing assume plants and garden. Find a guy like me in your neighborhood and be nice to him. Don't just cheat and take him for granted. I just helped my neighbor with a plumbing problem. Would have cost him hundreds but me was free.

[@fedcopp]

All I wanna know is; 2 things: Before u gotta solar, what was your highest monthly bill during peak summer months compare to when you got solar?

[@peteparadis1619]

The payback is after you’re dead

[@ajossi]

I guess he's not going to reply which makes me even more suspicious of solar.

[@Nolaman70]

@@ajossi you should be suspicious of the sun, people used to worship it...

[@mrochner]

I think the highest bill we ever got was $315, now its about $11 for 9 months out of the year and in the winter months we get a lot of really thick cloudy days and for 3 months out of the year we will get bills of around $100 - about $200, especially if it is REALLY cold and we get a lot of snow. I recommend getting a SnowJoe roof rake to clean snow off the panels, a foot of snow takes a while to melt off by itself as we found out the hard way the first winter we had the panels. The roof rakes are fairly cheap and don't hurt the panels at all, ours is like a squeegee on one side and just slides over the panels.

[@mrochner]

We still spend about $600 a year, but it used to be about $3,600 a year before solar, so about $3,000 in savings a year. That's been the trend for the past 2.5 years so far. Its a 50 panel 15.25kw system. It made 59.4kWh today, and it has made 32.4 MWh since we had it installed. No yearly maintenance fees. I might spray it off with the hose a few times a year if the panels get really dusty or covered in pollen really thick, but generally we get rain often enough to keep them clean enough I don't have to do anything to them.

[@glennburch1081]

I just finished calculating my first year post solar. I compared my last year pre-solar to my first year post-solar and I am paying $20/mo less post-solar, however, that was with the help of my SREC sales. As far as the roof goes, my solar company does the first removal and re-installation for free if you use their roofer. My panels were placed on a 10 year-old roof. The panels are 22% efficient and carry a 30-year linear output guarantee of 97.19% year one and an 82.6% guarantee by year 30 for an average linear loss per year of 2%.. I purchased the panel vs leasing them and the system uses microconverters on each panel. The only thing I can see going wrong is equipment failure over time and that is just a wait and see thing. So far, so good. I think better deals will be had as the efficiency of the solar panels improve moving forward.

[@SuitTV]

Saving $20 a month is not worth it in my opinion

[@joealeman1204]

Your doing more than saving 20 dollars. You are cutting out using the city for power and now you own your power, you are going “green”, and also getting tax money back for going Solar.

[@MrTweesy420]

Dont forget the price of repairs, maintenance, and battery bank replacement costs over the 25 year.

[@SuitTV]

Any repairs or maintenance is done at no cost to me per my contract so no need to worry about that.

[@MrTweesy420]

That's good to know. I've been interested in solar for a couple years now and the one thing I've been worried about was the cost of maintaining or replacing components. What kinda of storage bank do you have and how long does that last you with 100% charge on cloudy weeks? Thanks for any additional info and nice work on your spreadsheets and break downs.

[@SuitTV]

@@MrTweesy420 I don't have a solar bank actually. If I have access power it just goes back to the grid and I am compensated for it. It's definitely be worth looking into though for you, but I've heard that the battery banks are expensive and really don't work very well yet. Also another item to get into your contract is to have them take the solar panels off and put them back on for free if you ever needed to do repairs to your roof or replace it. Mine added that in at my request.

[@MrTweesy420]

@@SuitTV thanks I'll keep that in mind. Have a great New Year.

[@bobbycoln5626]

@@SuitTV And, if they go out of business? Solendra!

[@daveb2280]

Great information! The only drawback I see are the assumptions. Technology is changing so fast right now that most solar panels could very well be obsolete in a few years. Tesla's Wall technology is one of them and I see them perfecting the inversion process on a much larger scale. I also see the uncertainty (an understatement) within our current political climate and potential changes in law that may or may not affect solar power.

[@loganmclean6510]

Panels are pretty much as good as they'll ever be. Watch Elon Musk video explaining it.

[@ChartBolt]

Satellites today are running solar panels and they are very reliable right now

[@steveharrigan7811]

@@ChartBolt Satellites are in constant sun......Not possible on the ground........The wind dosent always blow either.....Wind and solar are sketchy at best, and are definitely not a replacement for fossil fuels.....They never will be.

[@rrkunath]

@@loganmclean6510 having worked in space communications, first, those are the same kind of solar panels, and panels of earth have a more difficult environment to live in.

[@gwandas9260]

@@rrkunath what do you mean by your last statement? "A more difficult time" on earth. Please explain.

[@billwesolowski2609]

You got sold a bill of goods my friend. That is not worth it at all. At least i know it's not something I would do at this point.

[@kentclark6420]

Why? He said he's making 25 grand off the extra, over 25 years, and at even a 1000.00 deficit annually, he would break even. For saving the environment.

[@ozzieosborne7676]

@@kentclark6420 That's only if he goes 25 years without a failure or maintenance. Not worth it.

[@kentclark6420]

@@ozzieosborne7676 The government could subsidize those extra costs, or just build, or the private sector build, solar and wind farms, instead.

[@ironcladranchandforge7292]

@@kentclark6420 -- Oh I see, the "Government" can subsidize his losses. In other words, WE tax payers can pay for his losses and crappy solar system. Total BS !!! I shouldn't have to pay for somebody's solar BS !!!!

[@ApartmentKing66]

@@kentclark6420 He's not saving jack. I see you believe the myth. And the government subsidizing things is artificial. You don't get it. You're an easy mark.

[@percy832]

Did I hear that right? US $40k for a home solar panel system? I think you have been ripped off big time.

[@aritam9352]

Nice breakdown however, there is no mention of the required maintenance to maintain the system running properly. How long do the solar panels last before they loose efficiency? How much does it cost to replace a bad panel? How about the storage or batteries, how long do they last? How much is it to replace them?

[@Nolaman70]

Mine is grid tied. I put in then pull out. Like a tug of war.

[@peartfaldo]

Or how much are the ones who came up with this crap making off of it......

[@hillbilly4christ638]

The panels represent an enormous environmental impact. Down the road when people have to replace their panels I suspect that there will be regulations that have to be met to dispose of them. Regulation costs money and from that point all costs are passed onto the consumer which most likely are going to be prohibitive to owning the panels to begin with. Currently, the govt is giving money away to installers to get everyone on the hook. Think about it.

[@mcchristenson]

The manufacturers from my understanding are being required to think about end of life for their panels. I just watched a doc on solar and a manufacturer was saying the government was going to hold them responsible for figuring out what to do with them. But it might have been a different country other than the united states were that solar manufacturer was located in the documentary.

[@quatsi212]

Thanks for the video. Did your calculations factor in degrading performance of your panels over the 25 years? And does this feed into the Sracs that are generated as the system degrades in efficiency?

[@SuitTV]

No they did not factor in the degrading performance, but it's not really a huge factor considering they will be at 85% after 25 years. Also I did not factor in the rising cost of electricity over the years so it kinda counter balances

[@Aaron-xr7oc]

@@SuitTV I feel like in 25 years solar technology would be pretty advanced and even cheaper as we lean more off non renewable resources

[@SuitTV]

@@Aaron-xr7oc probably. That still doesn't stop the fact that I'm saving $1k a year though

[@tee3385]

Did you factor in the fact that electricity will continue to rise and it directly correlates with gas prices that have nearly doubled in the last year? In my area we’re seeing a 36% increase in 2 years. I know a guy with 30 year old panels they did require service twice during this period but they still produce power and have paid themselves off quite a few times!

[@SuitTV]

@@tee3385 no I did not factor that in to the equation. I will in my next video. That's even more financial reason for getting them.

[@mikeruhland6928]

Would like to see your historical kilowatt usage and the delta with the system installation. You have taken on the risk of the system performance and the political risk with the SRECs.

[@williamsimmons152]

I put up a 5 kw in April 2015. Own it outright and it cost about 14k. Broke even and started on the profit side about August 2020. SRECS, tax credits worked for me. Do the math for your own needs . My electric use (needs) average about 550 kw per month. I actually should have put in a little bit larger system.

[@inodesnet]

This is a great video and very glad you’re saving money. But it does illustrate a broken system. The US unfortunately has far too much red tape and ironically lacks the economies of scale and efficiencies of somewhere like Australia. Generally cost of solar is about $3 per Watt in US and less than $1 per watt in Australia (there are plenty of comparisons in the UK and US explaining differences). Bottom line though is that a 10kW system can be ordered and installed for about $8k. From order to roof takes 2 weeks, and return on investment takes about 3 years due to feed in tariffs and generally higher cost of electricity than the US.

[@SuitTV]

Wow that's so much less expensive. I know the price has dropped a lot in the US a lot but it seems like Australia is way cheaper for some reason.

[@inodesnet]

​@@SuitTV I think countries like the UK and the US have wondered what the secret sauce is in Australia. It's generally always been 1/3 of the cost per watt. There are a lot of factors, but a few are: 1. Despite Australia being home to a lot of the technical breakthroughs in solar, there is no manufacturing here - and therefore no protective tariffs. 2. The Australian federal rebate is simple and is built into the purchase price. It basically wipes 1/3 of the cost off the system. 3.There are much less soft costs due to very streamlined regulation. The government set up a regulating body by which installers must be accredited by. Installs that are by accredited companies can be done without any government approval. Soft costs are almost non existent in Australia, whereas in the US the can make up as much as 1/2 the cost (e.g. labour, marketing, permits costs). 4. Generally it is seen as a good investment. The cost allows for most houses to be done without the need for financing options. This leads to a lot more solar uptake and competition.... which leads straight into 5. 5. Australia has the highest uptake of household solar in the world. The market is mature and competition is crazy tough. This leads to lower prices. The gap is closing. But as of 2021 it's still $2.81 per watt average in US (USD) versus 70 cents in Australia. If you compare an identical system with the same panels and the same inverter - its still roughly a triple the cost rule of thumb.

[@tommaxwell429]

Governments can manipulate prices to make anything look like a good deal. Our politicians in the US are trying to tell us that $5+ gasoline prices are great because it makes electric vehicles so much more affordable. Yeah, right! Manipulation of free market prices to drive behaviors is not a good deal! And these panels are not environmentally friendly as so many think they are. Go ask the kids mining the metals needed to produce these panels and look at the pollution generated as a result to determine if these are so great or not. But out of sight, out of mind, right? We can justify our behaviors and feel good inside if we sacrifice a few 10's of thousands of dollars to the climate gods.

[@johnferrare2840]

Great video and very clear. However, you really have to consider the increased cost of power over the 25 years. That amount is likely to be huge, though that depends on the state.

[@SuitTV]

Yea good call. If I factored that in I'd be saving even more.

[@Diana1000Smiles]

I doubt Earthlings have 25 years remaining. Climate changes are happening faster than Scientists predicted, and every year it becomes worse because we just keep making more garbage.

[@NightWolf-vv5me]

Paying for electricity is a sham. A sad sham

[@johnferrare2840]

@@NightWolf-vv5me Yea I guess you believe it should be free? Sure why not!!

[@NightWolf-vv5me]

@johnferrare2840 not a belief, I KNOW it is free. Electricity is pulled from the air therefore we shouldn't be paying for it. Doesn't make sense

[@Jodyrides]

I am a retired electrician. I worked for the local electric supplier as a maintenance electrician. I worked on everything but elevators. You need a special license to work on elevators I looked into how much some of our customers are paying that have solar.. in Pennsylvania when you have a solar system tied into the grid, the local utility has to pay you for the excess power you put back into the grid. I believe it’s $.12 per KW.. that’s the law One customer that had a 3 ton whole house air conditioning system, my company paid them $600 and they paid us zero for the year Another customer that had a pool with a heater and 2/2 ton whole house HVAC systems. We paid him $50 for the entire year. He was not in a great spot in his house wasn’t situated so his panels could face due South.. so I started doing some research for myself. I could buy on the Internet a 5KW system with battery back up which means when the sun goes down, the rooftop system charges the batteries, and after the sun goes down, my house runs on battery power .. if it’s not a very sunny day in the winter and the sun was not able to charge my batteries up enough, of course the automatic transfer switch would switch over and use power from the electric company.. if I’m generating a lot of power more than I need, that goes back into the grid in the local utility has to pay me $.12 per kw that I put back into the grid because it is excess power I have generated and do not need.. A 5KW system can be bought for around $6000-$10,000. You could hire a registered electrician, you’ll have to do it with a registered electrician at least in Pennsylvania because you have to get a permit and you have to have it inspected. You’ll have to buy a few extras, a meter socket for an analog electric meter. A digital electric meter when I checked a few years ago did not have the ability to run backwards, so the customers had to purchase an analog meter the old style and they had to pay $10 a month because it had to be processed separately rather than by computer. You also have to buy some entrance cable and additional meter socket for the analog meter. That’s pretty much it. so if you contract a registered electrician, two guys, could have that system up on your roof and installed in 2 to 3 days depending on the weather and your roof.. before you go into this project, have your roof inspected, and the area you were going to have the panels installed on, maybe it’s a good idea to have at least that section of the roof replaced so you won’t have to touch it for the next 30 years while the panels are up there.. So a registered electrician figure 2 guys, that’s $1000 a day, for two days or three days, that’s two or $3000 to have the installation done.. it really is a simple job.. It is just putting brackets called uni strut onto your roof, and installing the panels onto the unistrut.I forgot to mention you will probably have to buy some uni strut and the hardware. maybe the solar panel kit comes with the strut, maybe not, it’s readily available at any electrical supply house or probably even Lowe’s and Home Depot.. so for less than $15,000.. you could have a 5KW solar panel system with battery back up on your roof. I am writing this because I have seen on the Internet people would’ve paid over $70,000 to have a single home solar panel system installed by rip off artists. If you buy the system complete online, installing the panels is no more complicated than installing windows in your house. In fact, I think installing windows is probably more complicated

[@SuitTV]

I feel like you might be over simplifying it and not thinking about a few things, but generally agree that an electrician who would do it might be cheaper.

[@Jodyrides]

@@SuitTV i’ve watched a few videos of the install process. Nothing mysterious about it.I think depending on the roof,I would rather put a solar panel system in, than wire a Data center with a false floor full of seal tight

[@zman3535]

@@SuitTV Can you please elaborate on the things he is missing out and over simplifying ?

[@krisbrand354]

Huge outlay mate! We get solar far cheaper in Australia. I just put a 10kw system up , 32 panels, just under $7 grand Aussie. Massive price difference

[@kyleongesii2601]

Wish i was closer to your country i woulve bought mine there, i have 10k with 36 panels and 18 batteries and i had it lil over 2yrs. I live in a small island in south pacific and i had to buy mine over seas and it cost me 11grand usd

[@red32303]

So the panels don’t pay for themselves without subsidies? And the subsidy is totally determined by the whims of the government

[@colevanhorn5881]

They'll pay for themselves either way. The tax credit just makes you go cash flow positive more quickly.

[@lmntrlmntr3496]

We had quite a bit of snow fall in our area in the past Month. Have you had considerable snow and how did your solar panels faired?

[@DavidALovingMPF102]

Here in New Mexico, we have quick snow storms. If the street snow melts, then our panel snow melts too, and it slides off.

[@georgeh9967]

@@DavidALovingMPF102 lucky you. NJ has a slightly colder winter with lots of snow covering the panels. snow covered panels dont produce.

[@francescosisto7131]

@@georgeh9967 I am in Connecticut, snow on roof really doesn't last long, maybe a few days, i really don't see it a big problem

[@cammontreuil7509]

Panels work better in the cold. Blow the snow off or push it off.

[@larrybe2900]

@@cammontreuil7509 Panels operate better in the cold as you said but the angle of the sun is lower so there is not as much direct rays reaching the panel. There are roof rakes available (plastic blades) that takes the waiting out of clearing off with a little effort. To be efficient one has to be proactive in this endeavor.

[@ozerinx]

Thanks this was super insightful! This helped me make the decision to not go this route. 1. Cost of entry way too high 2. 25 yrs to break even. This isn't a house it won't appreciate in 25 yrs it will prob break within 10-15. 3. Selling energy etc is nice are u really going to live there for 25yrs to break even.

[@jimspence0]

I'd like to be there in 8 years when he gets the bill for the new solar panels and batteries he has to buy to replace failures ( gen 10 - 13 yrs). Not to mention the money he has to pay to get the old panels and batteries disposed of(toxic waste).

[@porscheoscar]

I paid $10k for my laptop my freshman year in college back in the early 1990s. That was half my entire annual income and that was a baller income for a college freshman. That $10k laptop goes for $250 now at Costco. Technology becomes cheap over time but it would go bankrupt without the first customers. if everyone waited for something to become cheap before you bought it you'd be calling your friends on coffee cans tied to each other with dental floss next to a wax candle

[@treypatterson7856]

Glad you went first, thanks (lol)

[@paulmetoyer3695]

HOW ABOUT THEY DO WHAT’S ON THE CONTRACT!

[@aviation2infinity802]

The technology will decrease in value but the degradation of the panels is much less than the inflating energy rates which is close to 5% annually. In 25 years his panels will be paid off and still working for another 10 years beyond that.

[@chetmyers7041]

How long is that shingle roof going to last, and what is the extra expense to remove/re-install the panels when a new roof is needed? Plus, how much does your homeowner's insurance go up to cover the panels on the roof? Better option is to LEASE the space on your roof to a solar panel power generation company.

[@lupeviewz]

Lease the panels? So that every 3 to 5 years you lease again and pay an outstanding renewal contract fee .. heck no

[@chetmyers7041]

@@lupeviewz No, not lease the panels, I recommend leasing the space on your roof, to anyone who wants to rent it. You provide access to your roof, and another party installs and pays for the panels, and owns the electricity generated. They also do their own maintenance and repairs on THEIR solar panels. The benefit to me is strictly rental income for my roof space.

[@mrochner]

We have 30 year shingles, and our entire solar panel system is warranted for 25 years. The roof and panels will probably need to be replaced about the same time, and the installer will pull the panels and racks off then, the roof reshingled and he'll put them back, but we probably won't be here then so it won't be my problem anyway. Our homeowners insurance dropped $15 a month with the panels because it was a capital improvement and a green energy initiative addition to the home. I only pay about $600 a year with the panels in electric bills instead of $3,600 before then. I will take my $3,000 a year savings.

[@robburton3255]

Great video. Thank you. I didn't even know about SRECs until I watched this!

[@SuitTV]

Yea np. You should watch my most recent solar video as well. SRECs are now called TRECs on Nj

[@geoadventure996]

$66k is a lot even if those panels last for 25 years. Unfortunately, in ten years max some panels will stop working and of course no one will replace them for free. So sad that people get cheated by those solar companies

[@peartfaldo]

so sad people fell for this crap. now we have a bastard in office trying to raise fossil fuel costs so much to FORCE people to consider this crap that THEY make tons off of. What does the IRS have to do with energy???? The libs want the govt to be involved in EVERYTHING we do....

[@GrandpawTheGreat]

I live in California and have a system similar in size to yours that we paid $21K for.($15K after tax rebate) We've had it for 3+ years and pay zero for electricity other than a Grid fee of less than $10.

[@pascalfl2610]

@Adventures with Grandpa. Tax payers money rebate. Not blaming you. Grab whenever you can an run.

[@reid1boys]

@@pascalfl2610 do you know how many big businesses are subsidized with tax breaks by the govt? There is a reason to subsidize this industry NOW, because as time goes by the costs for the solar industry will be a fraction of today, which will benefit everyone in the long run. Thats the problem with most people, they look short term.... today only. I laugh all the way to the bank.

[@slydog7131]

I figure you are paying at least $135 a month (likely much more) for your electricity. You could have invested that $15k and got a reasonable return, and in 25 years you would still have your $15k. So you are also out $15k, spread over about 25 years. Then you will pay maintenance too. To say you pay zero for electricity is like saying you pay zero for transportation because you paid cash for a car. But, California is a good place to have solar, given the high electricity rates and lots of sun.

[@reid1boys]

@@slydog7131 My 10.4kw system was 34k before the tax rebate, which brought cost down to $23,800. My electric bill in summer months was over $500. it is roughly 7 years for my investment to be paid back off of what I produce in electricity. from years 8 until the system stops working I am in the clear. I am fine with my investment in my solar system.

[@2020Dreamlife]

Yeah he paid wayyy too much

[@Mark-nt1jf]

Wow!!! My house is 1,865 square feet. After tax credits and rebates, my cost to install solar in the early fall of 2019 came to about $9,500. My electric bill is just the minimum fees of a little over $8. I paid it off in less than a year.

[@Dalovely72]

Wow that good to hear what State do you live in?

[@Mark-nt1jf]

@XDaRegulatorX We went through Costco, who was working with Sunrun. We are very happy with it.

[@Mark-nt1jf]

@@Dalovely72 We live in New Mexico, so we get a lot of sunshine, which makes it worth it. It's a total of 4,350 watts of solar panels.

[@peartfaldo]

@@Mark-nt1jf what about where people dont get a lot of sun?....uh oh...thats sunshine inequality. what are we going to do about that. those that live where there is not a lot of sun will be stuck paying high energy costs(which of course is on purpose by the climate change scumbags) while at the same time paying for the tax credits for those who live in sunny areas and can afford to do this in the first place. Its not fair...inequality...inequality...inequality.....

[@Mark-nt1jf]

@@peartfaldo Yes, it's not fair to those who don't get as much sunshine. On the other hand, it's not fair to us that we don't get as much rain as some places. Oh, wait, if get more rain, we won't get as much sunshine and if we get more sunshine, we won't get as much rain. It's not fair! I want sunshine and rain and I want it now!

[@movementencouragedfitness5945]

Thanks for the info. I’m in a position where I was offered a job as a solar sales rep. I decided to decline because of the timing of the offer and also my lack of knowledge. So I’ve been researching because the opportunity to sell is still there if I reach back out to them. However I don’t want to sell anything that isn’t honest. So I’ve been doing a lot of research from the consumer perspective.

[@SuitTV]

Very smart of you. Good luck with the job hunt

[@Captkid1]

Thanks for the video and straight forward numbers. Sure this helps a lot of people decide wether or not it is time for them to jump to solar. Regardless of the opinions stated, everyone used your video to make an informed decision. One of the best points was the fact about trees. I live in Florida, but trees here grow 100’ to 120’ tall and shade everything. Well done video, thanks.

[@Diana1000Smiles]

Not "everyone". I prefer Wind, and, believe me, Montana has winds. I nearly lost my head the other day.

[@larrybe2900]

Some trees may not be on your property and out of your control.

[@jasonchapman6058]

One VERY important item not being mentioned is how long will the components of the system last and will there be any costs to repair/maintain/ replace? I've heard that many commercial grade systems are falling apart in less than 20 years. Have you looked into that as well?

[@IL_Bgentyl]

You should hope because most have 25 year warranties.

[@silvergameofthrone]

@@IL_Bgentyl 25 years of bulsh*t . Read reviews how people try to fix solar by warranty after 5 10 years . Mission impossible

[@sittingindetroit9204]

@@IL_Bgentyl Unless they have a bond, you are assuming they will be around for 25 years....

[@sittingindetroit9204]

@@tylerbanks4 really? Sure about that?

[@neckarsulme]

@@IL_Bgentyl that's assuming the company that sold the panels are still even in business...hundreds fold each year

[@supertesla19]

I just ordered solar last week. No SREC in Texas but I got a good deal on my system.

[@SuitTV]

Nice! As long as you did the math and it end up saving you $$ that's what matters

[@marbelz.p6018]

This was great, thanks, been searching for "is installing solar panels cost effective" for a while now, and I think this has helped. You ever tried - Aanarter Exceptional Ascendancy - (should be on google have a look ) ? It is a good one of a kind guide for discovering how to learning how to get free power minus the hard work. Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my friend got great results with it.

[@candace27co]

Is still working? Hopefully it is

[@supertesla19]

@@candace27co Yes just posted a vid. I was the only one in my neighborhood with electricity.

[@candace27co]

@@supertesla19 praise God