My uncle's solar panel math made me rethink everything

For years I thought rooftop solar was just for rich people or diehard hippies. My uncle in Tucson kept pushing it, but I figured the payback period was like 15 years and not worth the trouble. Then last spring he showed me his actual electric bills from the past 12 months, and his average monthly bill dropped from $210 to about $25. He also got a 30% federal tax credit plus a local utility rebate that knocked $4,800 off the upfront cost. The system was $16,500 before incentives, and he financed it at 4% over 10 years. Now his monthly payment is $155, which is still less than what he was paying the power company, and he owns the panels after year 10. I checked my own roof shading with a free tool from my city's energy office and found I have decent south exposure. Has anyone else run the numbers on solar after ignoring a relative's advice for years? What did you miss that made it finally click for you?

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alicemurphy8d ago

Damn, the math actually checks out. Kinda annoying when the relatives are right lol.

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