Cost of Installing Solar Panels on Your Home?
February 23, 2009 – 12:54 am by Lindsay
I don’t have solar power for my home yet, but it’s definitely on the slate for future home improvements. Even with tax credits and what not, it’s a pretty expensive upgrade, and since I live in the oft-cloudy Pacific Northwest, it’s not as much of a no-brainer as it might be for someone in the Southwest.
But I’m starting to do the numbers so that when I have the cash, I can take that step. I hunted down some information on the cost of installing solar panels, so let me share that here for anyone else who is considering the upgrade (quotes below come from the Jan/Feb ‘09 issue of “Natural Home Magazine”).
Average Cost of Installing Photovoltaic (PV) Panels
“For PV, about $30,000 to $50,000 for a 3- to 6-kW system (without incentives). For a rough estimate of the system size you need, divide the number of kWh you use per month by 150.”
Apparently, it’s less expensive to install solar power in mild climates. Severe climates need more complex systems. It’s also worth noting that if you live somewhere that sees a lot of snowfall in the winter, you’ll need to place those panels somewhere convenient so you can access them to clear off the snow. Hey, you were looking for another use for that snow shovel anyway, right?
When considering costs, you may also want to check into your county’s policy on buying back energy. In my county, the electric company credits your bill if you actually create excess energy. (Solar systems can can be set up to pump what you don’t need back into the city grid.)
Cost of Installing a Solar Hot Water Heater
If you’re not ready to spend a fortune on a system that can get you completely off the energy grid, you might want to start small, such as with a solar-powered hot water heater.
With these systems, solar collectors can be mounted on the roof or on the ground. They contain fluid-filled tubes that are warmed by the sun, then circulated to a storage tank to supply the home’s hot-water taps.
“For a solar hot water system, prices without incentives will vary from about $1,800 to $8,000 for systems that will reduce hot water energy use by 50 to 70 percent.”
Tags: solar