Depending on the rebates and incentives available, your electricity rate plan, and the cost of installing storage, you can expect a range of energy storage payback periods.
How long do solar panels last?
That's 12 years total, which is not bad considering the panels themselves have a 20 year warranty on construction defects. I expect no less than 30 years of operation.
Can solar energy save you money?
Once the installation costs are recovered by the electrical generation savings, you are making real savings. Currently in Ireland most electricity suppliers will take back any surplus solar electricity produced at a rate of 50% of the associated day rate and this credit is deducted from the electricity bill.
Is a 10 year energy investment a good investment?
A 10 year investment with a potential for a 65% return sounds like a good investment to me. This works because once your system has covered its initial cost, it's now just sitting there generating free energy and helping shift your usage around to improve your energy cost efficiency.
Will a solar power installation pay for itself?
In order to get a sense of when an investment in a solar power installation will have paid for itself, it is of course essential to pay close attention to how much electricity is being generated by the system. In the graphs below, it's evident that I live relatively far north in the northern hemisphere.
Do solar panels generate electricity during the day?
It may be obvious but is important to note that your solar panels will only generate solar electricity during daylight. This can also be influenced by many factors such as the orientation of your panels, time of day, cloud cover etc. Any of the solar energy storage solutions identified will increase the efficiency of your solar installation.
What happens if I exceed my solar installation capacity?
Once you exceed the amount of electricity you are producing for your solar installation, you will be charged by your electricity provider. As a result, it is important to stagger the use of electrical equipment based on the maximum capacity of your solar installation and current electricity being produced at the time of day.