PV Gap

Juan Said:

Has anybody here had solar panels installed in their home? Was it worth it? Would you recommend it to others?

We Answered:

There are many factors involved.

You added they were not worth it. In some cases that is true, but what were the expectations? If one is realistic, and understands their electricity costs will be going up, in the US they will be going up due to administrative actions rather than legislative actions do a web search of Obama AND blackouts just as those three words are typed, the AND is a Boolean modifier so the search picks up those two words together BTW.

The biggest factor in their "value" is if you plan to stay where you are for at least a decade or more. If shorter than that- they are a net loss, but they will add "some" value come sales time.

If you expect to run your house totally on solar, without you changing your usage habits, you will see minimal impact. If you expect to get rich running your meter backward, no, that will not occur.

If you plan it out so you have other forms of power as well, you can go off grid. For some, just being able to do that much makes it worthwhile. You are not subject to blackouts or brown outs and no need to worry about carbon taxation, which is a fraud, but is going to happen, and in some areas it has already happened, even in the US. If you are using the panels to heat the structure or the domestic water, those are types that pay for themselves a bit sooner and their outlay is not as significant.

If you have no idea of how to install them, PV or heat/water and lack the ability to do the installation, having someone else install your system is going to be expensive, it pretty much doubles the costs. On the other hand, if you did the installation, you can always take the system with you when you move.

It is not for everyone. Your results will vary, your costs will vary as well. Is it worth it? It can be to the right people in the right situation. A healthy skepticism should be tempered a bit because solar technology is improving, as are other technologies that have resulted from the demand for energy efficiency, such as LED lighting.