Is Solar Energy Worth the Cost?

offgridstores · April 15

Solar systems can be expensive at first, but they may save money over time. This topic looks at whether solar energy is a good investment.

JRHill · April 15

"Is Solar Energy Worth the Cost?"

It depends entirely upon the other options, does it not?

emma001 · April 16

That’s true solar can feel expensive upfront, but it’s often a solid long-term investment because the savings on electricity bills add up over time. In places with strong sunlight like Dubai, the return tends to be even better, especially for solar panel installation projects where energy usage is high.

Jackielei · April 16

offgridstores said:

Solar systems can be expensive at first, but they may save money over time. This topic looks at whether solar energy is a good investment.

I think a lot of the points in this thread come down to how much self-consumption you actually have and what your local electricity prices look like.

For some people it clearly makes sense over the long term, especially if they can shift usage into daytime or use EV charging. For others, the payback just stretches out too long to feel worth it.

In the end it feels less like a pure “investment” decision and more like a lifestyle + energy security choice.

I’ve also noticed that once people move beyond small home setups and start looking at larger storage (like a 32kWh rack-style system such as https://cmxbattery.com/product/32kwh-48v-628ah-floor-mounted-lifepo4-battery-solar-home-energy-storage/ the conversation shifts again — it becomes more about stability and how to actually use the energy rather than just the ROI on paper.

Miller_Ranch · April 17

Definitely worth the cost if you live miles away from the nearest power line.

JRHill · April 18

Miller_Ranch said:

Definitely worth the cost if you live miles away from the nearest power line.

Yup. In 2010 it was $250000+ to go to a place 1/3 of the way to us. It didn't take too much math. OTOH we could just move to a populated sustainable community.

Dave Angelini · April 18

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6024911/uploads/editor/zs/u8zts44sxxq2.png

JRHill · April 18

Somebody says they go where power lines don't go. That's where I'd live (and do). That's the person I'd work with if I couldn't do it myself.

But most want to flick switches and push buttons like they have a grid connection. Therein is the danger.

DanS26 · April 22

In my neck of the woods, if you have to pay someone to install solar it is not going ever have a payback. IMO it is the huge cost of outside labor and expertise that make it unaffordable. DIYers definitely have an advantage.

In the Midwest we live in a world of net billing rather than net metering. That means you receive wholesale for energy sent to the grid and pay retail to buy it back at night. That means in most cases it is a no go for anyone who knows how to analyze cost/benefit.

If you go off grid the cost of installation and the recurring battery replacement cannot come even close to buying grid power at under $0.10 per kWh. The REMC system in the Midwest rural areas is very good and it is rare to not be able to get reasonable priced grid power. My REMC has not raised the cost for a kWh for over 6 years.......unbelievable in this inflationary world.

OTOH it is very good that people who can't or don't want grid power have an alternative and can go it alone if they want.....costs be damned. Most of the people I know who go off grid do it for other reasons than trying to save money.

JRHill · April 22

DanS26 said:

In my neck of the woods, if you have to pay someone to install solar it is not going ever have a payback. IMO it is the huge cost of outside labor and expertise that make it unaffordable. DIYers definitely have an advantage.

In the Midwest we live in a world of net billing rather than net metering. That means you receive wholesale for energy sent to the grid and pay retail to buy it back at night. That means in most cases it is a no go for anyone who knows how to analyze cost/benefit.

If you go off grid the cost of installation and the recurring battery replacement cannot come even close to buying grid power at under $0.10 per kWh. The REMC system in the Midwest rural areas is very good and it is rare to not be able to get reasonable priced grid power. My REMC has not raised the cost for a kWh for over 6 years.......unbelievable in this inflationary world.

OTOH it is very good that people who can't or don't want grid power have an alternative and can go it alone if they want.....costs be damned. Most of the people I know who go off grid do it for other reasons than trying to save money.

Dan, there is a lot of truth to what you wrote. When we started our home for retirement, if grid power was available, it wouldn't have taken a second thought. But I know that I would've still added solar because it is something I've long wanted to do. But there was no grid power nor will there ever be in our canyon so we planned everything around efficiency.

As far as hiring out there were two things that fell into that category because I couldn't do it by myself: the foundation and then the stacking of logs. A concrete truck will not come here so everything was done by hand. The house through 'dry in' was craftsmanship with a chain saw. Both crews lived in tents and made their meals on sight. They had a ball. I'm about to the point of changing out my panels and it's gonna be tough because it will cut the work day in half if someone won't stay on site.

In time I learned something unexpected that is an advantage of being where power lines don't go. That is that many folks in our modern times are spoiled by convenience and going off grid translates to work and having to learn some new things. That really cuts down on potential neighbors. It stays really quiet in this area except for hunting season(s).

MGar · April 22

I think it's worth it only if it's DIY. cost-wise.

I started in 2011 with golfcart flooded battery's with a MorningStar MPPT 60 and a puresinewave inverter 12 volt. Just ran my PC on it for ~10 months or so. I kept adding more battery's. 16 x 6 volt 232 ah ea.

My mayor mistake was not charging the battery pack up properly, after reading a lot. They should be charged to

1-2%. a 100 amp battery 100*1%= 1 amp.

normal is 2 percent or 2 amps for a 100 amp cell at absorb.(cut off amps)

This must be done from when the cell is totally new, not 3 years later... 6 years they worn out.

In 2012 I installed a XW6048 NA with same brand charge controllers. The system for the most is working fine.

I choose Forklift battery's at the time 4 x 24v [1000 amp 6hr], hooked as 2 48 volt battery's, they still good. at 1%

I added some LiFep04 Winston cells ~2014 as the clouds did create problems for me. longer story.

I was able to do all the work myself, making the solar panel frames, trench cables with rental and all the rest.

but I had a need and want to do it.

Dave Angelini · April 23

There alot of ways to go offgrid. Alot of truth in the last posts. Believe me I have seen it many times and many ways.

After 33 years, for us it got down to we were to far from decent medical. The wild fire danger was nasty and politics in Cali were unchangable. I think there were 7 other reasons.

Now we are good on all of the reasons. In a place that feels offgrid but 5 minutes from Walmart, the casino, and a hospital. Great restaurants with live music and Nevada wild mustang horses chasing the cayotes.

Is Solar Energy Worth the Cost?

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