So people have been wondering what’s going on with the solar power system. We’ve been keeping track of our energy usage, of course, so we just got the bill for August and here’s the results.
Last year it was pretty hot and we used the AC a lot so our electric usage in August last year was 1,971 kWh.
This August, which was even hotter, our electric usage was 1,074 kWh.
So we cut our electric usage almost in half, during a month that was even hotter than 2022 was. And that’s only running the system part time. I’m pretty darn pleased with that.
grouchyfarmer 
Very impressive.
Nice to see the return coming in after the overall initial expense.
The real question is longevity. I do wonder if, about the time you start to break even, the system will need new gear… I’m hoping you can reap the benefits much longer than that.
But, I see that as the true test.
I can wait 😉
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The lifespan of the equipment is indeed the question. I’m not concerned about the batteries. These LiFePo batteries are rated to handle 7,000 charge cycles while still retaining 80% of their original capacity.
The inverters are a different story. Even if they don’t experience a failure I suspect they’ll be replaced within a few years because the technology is advancing rapidly. There are already inverters on the market that are much more efficient and more capable than the ones I have.
From a purely financial point of view, for the average homeowner putting in a system like this is probably never going to pay for itself entirely within the expected lifespan of the equipment. But that’s under current conditions and current prices. I’m paying $0.16 per kWh from the utility company at the moment but we’ve already received notice that’s going to be going up 14% over the next two years. Plus there are rumors floating around that they’re thinking of forcing everyone to going to a variable rate scheme where our electric costs would more than double during “on peak” hours. Those are just rumors right now but if that goes through we’d be looking at peak hour rates of 28 – 36 cents per kWh.
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Howdy Grouchy!
It’s nice to hear directly from someone using a home solar system. It helps clarify the issues that aren’t always enumerated in the media. We used inverters in Kenya to keep the basics going during the frequent power outages. The cost of maintaining the basics was high. To go beyond the refrigerators, lights, and a few outlets was more than I was happy paying for.
There are a few things about our shift to renewable energies that your personal experience and the actions of utility companies confirm. (1) It is putting yourself in harms way to come between a capitalist and their profits, even if it is a non-profit utility company and the state legislature and regulatory boards that want to keep them going. Hunh, go figure. Which brings us to number two. No one changes unless they are in enough pain to change. People do not like to take risks unless they are confronting sure losses. The folks who run and regulate utility companies are no different.
It is clear that fossil fuels are done. It’s been clear for fifty years. The only smart thing for utilities and fossil fuel companies to do was to plan their change from fossil fuels to renewables. Instead, they’ve doubled, tripled, and quadrupled down on fossil fuels trying to use them for as long as possible. Maybe your hottest ever summer will help convince them to start buying yours and your neighbors’ solar rather than charging you for peak usage.
I’m glad you are in a position to be able to install solar and share your experience with those of us who aren’t. Hopefully, the renewable experience will become like gardening where you give your neighbors your excess.
Huzzah!
Jack
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Thanks for stopping by and for your comments!
Alas, there are a great many influential people who have a very strong interest in maintaining the status quo and are doing everything they can to push back against the adoption of alternative energy sources. And you’re also right in that plans for this change should have been started decades ago.
My experiences with home solar have been almost entirely positive so far. Yes, it was fairly expensive, but I look at it this way, the entire system I put in, including batteries and solar panels, cost me less than the average price of a used car these days. And it looks like there are new battery technologies on the horizon that should help to bring the cost of the batteries, the most expensive part of the system, down significantly in the next ten years.
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Batteries have always been the weakest link in… well every electrical device. Hopefully, the precious metals needed to make the next generation batteries won’t be claimed by China when they try to stake dominion over the Moon.
Jack
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Yep, batteries are always one of the biggest issues. Solar panels are fairly cheap. Inverters aren’t that expensive either. But when I start telling people the cost of the batteries their eyes kind of glaze over and I don’t blame them.
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