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Was sure solar was a bad deal until my neighbor showed me his bill
I spent years thinking rooftop solar only worked if you had perfect southern exposure and tons of cash. My neighbor in Tucson got a system 18 months ago and kept telling me I was leaving money on the table. I finally asked to see his electric bills, and he pulled up a comparison from May, his usage was down 82% and his monthly payment ended up $14 less than the old utility cost. The kicker was that he used a local installer who handled the net metering paperwork, something I assumed was a nightmare. Anyone else get convinced by a neighbor who actually did the math out loud?
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shane_park921mo ago
Those May numbers can be misleading because that's when AC starts ramping up, so the comparison might look great versus the old bill but ignore what happens in July and August when the sun's cooking the panels and the grid's struggling. Also, that $14 less a month probably doesn't count the loan payment on the system itself, which is usually the real kicker. Most people I've seen who brag about solar savings forget to mention the 20 year financing or the fact that their roof needed replacing first. If he's on net metering now, wait until the utility changes those rates next year, that's when the math gets real ugly.
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