The limits of solar energy

Mary Cook wrote:I really disagree with Brandon. Some people's situation won't accommodate solar, but the idea that you have to nix out your power bills within a few years for it to be worth it...is going to look very quaint in a few years when solar panels may not be available or affordable--unless you live in China, maybe--and the grid may be going down more often, grid power may be climbing rapidly in price...whereas panels are quite cheap now. The whole system, especially if you go off-grid, is not so cheap, especially if you have to pay expert installers and red tape fees, but could well be worth it.

I lean more to Mary's side.
We put solar panels on our roof in 2020.  Most months the payment for the panels plus the little electric bill we have left is smaller than our electric bill had been.  Year total is a little smaller than the electric bill by itself had been.  Every time they increase electric rates the further ahead we will be.  In 14 years when the system is paid off we will be way ahead.

Phil Swindler wrote:..... Every time they increase electric rates the further ahead we will be.  In 14 years when the system is paid off we will be way ahead.

We aren't off the grid and likely won't be in our lifetime, but you never know.  Nevertheless, now in our 60s/70s, we are at a point, assuming at least some of the affordability of solar remains for the next few years, that it seems worth adding a system stepwise to meet our needs.  We have some horrible electrical usage/bills that result from heating animal quarters and still using electric for kitchen range and hot water heating.  Granted, we use an air-fryer more now for baking along with the woodstove in winter, but the hot water heater is old, too large for our needs really, and so this resonates with the argument that reducing electrical needs is one part of making solar affordable and realistic.  Additionally, as Phil S noted above, grid pricing into the future looks pretty shaky.  As I type this, I have a bill in front of me from last May and the most recent one covering February.  We don't use AC and our usage in summer is still around 10 - 20 kwh per day, but this jumps bad in winter.  More importantly are two rate numbers and taxes:  Monthly facility charge went from $51 USD to $58 USD at the beginning of the year while the cost rate went from 12.5 cents per kwh to 13.3 cents per kwh. Taxes appear to hover around 10% of the cost of the kwh usage.  As I understand it, these rates are rather low, but are increasing steadily and due to other forces that most of us are witnessing, may jump quite suddenly in the days ahead.  For the present, we are a 'net-metering' state, so if we decide to grid-tie, we would get paid back at the retail rate for any production over what we use.  However, even with a strong public utility commission here in Minnesota, the coops have found ways to add extra facility/connection charges that one has to consider in the budgeting.

One disappointment when we had an installer out to quote to us a full-house solar system is the propensity to assume the full energy replacement of what the grid is providing is what will be quoted.  Certainly I understand the rationale behind this for most homeowners, but I was a bit surprised that no discussion ensued about simple reduction of power consumption via the solar set-up.  That was two years ago and now battery technology and cost enters the picture and we are wondering if we would want to grid-tie at all!  In this regard, and directing the next comment at someone in tune with recent policy changes, how did the state of Utah get legislation passed allowing for direct plug-in of inverted solar power directly into home outlets (solar power not more than 1,200W and assuming 120V)?  From an AI response upon searching:  "Utah law allows the direct plug-in of small-scale (<1.2 kW) solar inverters to reduce adoption costs, boost energy independence, and simplify access for renters and homeowners, removing the need for complex utility interconnection agreements. Enacted in 2025 (H.B. 340), this legislation promotes affordable, safe, and portable "balcony solar" technology."  These configurations with the micro-inverters avoid, for the most part, the risk of 'back-feeding' into a downed grid power line by virtue of shutting down the solar side when the grid goes down....thus minimizing shock of company linemen.  Are more states working on this?....Seems like it would be pretty significant in cost reductions depending of level of typical home power consumption.

But the bottom line for us, even as it's early days in planning, is to (a) install our solar electrical power initially off-grid in a scalar fashion with a few panels at a time, (b) take advantage of either home-built or pre-built battery storage from commercial vendors to back-up power for use when grid not available, (c) configure farm vehicles (electric) to run on 48VDC which can serve as power sources when plugged into master hybrid inverter for brief home power, and (d) continue to improve my 'sun dance' so that solar energy days are maximized and good vibes continue to foster improvements in the tecnnology, which seems to report breakthroughs almost weekly! ;-)  Based on my current fitness and dance steps, I'm not holding my breath regarding (d).... Ha!