Buying Solar Panels Vs Paying For Electricity

Whether you choose to buy or lease your solar panels will have a major impact on your system s long term value.

Buying solar panels vs paying for electricity.

While solar leases and power purchase. Let s do the math. Cash buying your solar electric system outright is best. If you lease the system or sign a power purchase agreement ppa a third party owns the solar panel system.

In 2014 the us average residential household used 911 kwh per month and the average monthly electricity bill was 114 before taxes and fees. In exchange for using solar energy you pay a monthly lease payment to the solar company. When you re selling high electricity prices are good. Let s take a look why this might be the case.

Both buying and leasing solar panels have their own advantages and disadvantages. It usually costs 15 000 to 20 000 after tax credits and can reduce your electricity bill by 70 to 100 percent depending on the size and. The history of sdg e and solar power. Buying solar panels.

You get to use all of the solar power that your system creates which cuts down your utility bill with net metering. If you re not buying your solar panels with cash the manufacturer may place a lien or uniform commercial code filing on your property to make sure you keep paying for them. Solar panels generate their own power and can therefore greatly offset your monthly electricity bill if not eliminate it. So in order to understand how we got to this point let s look at the history of sdg e paying for solar how it has evolved and the current rate structures used to determine payment.

2 check average rates in your area on this map. After you ve made the decision to go solar the next step is figuring out how to pay for it. When buying a house one of the most important things you should be aware of is how to get a mortgage solar panels can affect your mortgage qualification process. The below table converts solar energy production into greenhouse gas offsets using the metric converters 7 44 10 4 metric tons co 2 kilowatt hour of energy produced and the national average for solar panel production ratio 1 42 kilowatt hours watt of power.

High electricity prices are only bad if you re buying. The main practical distinction between buying and leasing a solar pv system is in ownership. Residential electric utility rates are on average approximately 12 cents per kilowatt hour in the us. If you buy a solar panel system you own the system either outright if purchasing with cash or after repaying your solar loan.

Assuming you don t have the cash to buy your solar energy system upfront like the vast majority of americans there are a variety of financing options to help you hitch onto the solar bandwagon and start increasing the value of your home. The higher your bill the more likely you ll benefit from switching.