I got some solar panels. Did the math and was impressed that they would pay for themselves in around just 2 years.
It's a bit sad that to make money you need money, but I do recommend anyone who can afford it to just install them.
For most people the break-even is longer than that. Net-metering is an unjustified gift from non-paneled ratepayers to ratepayers with solar panels.
Even without net metering the solar panels cover a lot of the electricity spent and I assume they would pay for themselves eventually.
If you do the math, a single 10W light bulb consumes 0.24kWh per day if you let it on all the time. A single solar panel is rated for 2kWh per day. Many appliances are also under 2kWh per use.
Any electricity you spend during the day will be saved by the solar panel automatically. If you live alone and leave during daylight hours that might not be worth it, but for a lot of family households it's free electricity.
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