Payback Time For Solar Panels
Payback times for a 5kw system in each capital city accurately predicting the time it takes for an investment in solar pv to pay off isn t straightforward so we asked the independent alternative technology association ata to calculate approximate payback times for a 5kw solar system in each capital city.
Payback time for solar panels. Is just above 8 years. Comparing quotes from multiple solar installers can actually help you go solar with a shorter payback period than the national average. The solar payback period refers to the amount of time it takes for the electric bill savings from your solar panels to equal the amount you paid for the system. A shorter payback period of 3 to 5 years is more common in parts of the country where utility electricity is higher like the north east and south west.
See how long it will take for a solar system to pay for itself. Solar savings payback calculator. If your cost of installing solar is 20 000 and your system is going to save you 2 500 a year on foregone energy bills your solar panel payback or break even point will be 8 years 20 000 2 500 8. The average payback period for a residential solar system in 2020 is about seven years.
The typical solar payback period in the u s. Because of this chasing a shorter payback time by reducing a system s size is often a false economy that can leave you wishing you installed a larger system from the start. Data from the energysage solar marketplace shows that in 2020 solar shoppers who compare their options in the marketplace can achieve payback on their solar investment in about 8 years. The past decade the energy payback time for solar pv systems has been reduced drastically.
However with the feed in tariff a government scheme that entitles those generating energy from solar panels to 20 years of payments having closed in march 2019 it could be easy to. A smaller solar power system can result in higher self consumption and a faster payback time but will result in smaller total savings on electricity bills. How comparison shopping can improve your solar panel payback period. Energy payback time and improvements in production technology.
The calculator also allows you to compare a high quality photovoltaic pv system with a lower priced solar system and see the difference in payback time. The good news is there are many states with better irr and payback time than virginia especially in the northeast and california where electricity costs are very high. The energy payback time epbt of a power generating system is the time required to generate as much energy as is consumed during production and lifetime operation of the system. They provided time frames for households with high daytime solar power usage 50.
How is the solar panel payback period calculated. Solar panels are at their cheapest price since 2010 so even though they re still a large investment the solar panel payback time could be shorter than ever.