Yeah, I've gotten quotes and run numbers every few years to get solar panels for my house, but it's never come close to making financial sense. Last time the quote was $50K to enough panels to generate power to completely offset electricity costs, averaged through the year. My monthly bill is roughly $200, so it'll take about 20 years to break even unless electricity costs skyrocket. Or it might be a good deal if I could install it myself.
I just looked at $/kWh fully financed (zero down) for 20 years. It actually was slightly cheaper until I added in an extra $20/month to insure it. I quit using the break-even method because panels have fixed time guarantees and warranties, plus finance has a fixed term. So that gives you a fixed total cost, cost per kWh, and cost per month. This is apples to apples for electric service.
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