That moment a neighbor showed me her solar panel setup changed how I think about energy

Last month I was walking home from my shift at the restaurant and saw my neighbor Mrs. Garcia out on her lawn pointing at her roof. She flagged me down and showed me her app tracking how much power her panels made that day, it was over 30 kilowatt hours for a Tuesday. She told me she hasn't paid an electric bill in 8 months and that her system cost her $12,000 after rebates. It got me wondering if more people in our area are doing this or if it's just the folks with the money up front.

2 comments

2 Comments

matthew70319d ago

The timing thing is what nobody talks about. Mrs. Garcia probably got in when rebates were higher and installation costs were lower. My buddy waited two years and the same setup cost him almost double because the tax credits changed and supply got messed up. Plus her panels might be older tech that's actually simpler and lasts longer while newer stuff is fancier but breaks easier. She probably hit that sweet spot where everything lined up right. You really gotta watch the incentives in your area and jump when they're good because they don't stay that way.

david_fisher3719d ago

@matthew703 makes a good point about timing, but you gotta wonder how much of this is just about who you know. Mrs. Garcia probably has a neighbor or a buddy who already did it and told her exactly what forms to fill out. Are you seeing that in your area where people trade tips on what contractors to use or which rebates are actually worth the hassle? The lady down my street showed me her system but admitted she got a deal through her son in law who works for a solar company. That's the part that bugs me - if you don't have that connection, you're just guessing at prices and hoping the installer doesn't screw you over. How is an average person supposed to figure out if they're getting a fair deal when every company quotes something different? I keep hearing people say the payback period keeps getting longer with changing rates. For someone like me who works a regular job, dropping that much cash feels like a gamble even if the math checks out on paper.