Solar Panels Reduced My Electric Bill by $2,677 in 2022

Re:Solar Panels Reduced My Electric Bill by $2,677 in 2022 by 1123581321 on Tuesday January 03, 2023 @01:25PM (#34235545)

There is typically a ten year warranty on the installation that covers leaks. An installer checks for roof age as part of qualification so you don't put panels on a roof that will age out before the panel warranty (typically 20 years, sometimes 25.)

Roof leaks that are accidental are covered by insurance, and the work to remove or replace the panels is part of that. Typically you adjust your home insurance coverage by the value of the panels when you install them to make sure everything's covered.

That just leaves the chance that the installer work will be good enough to make it ten years but not twenty, and the insurance won't cover the damage. I don't know the odds of that. It seems like it would be infrequent, but what numbers do you use?

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Re:Solar Panels Reduced My Electric Bill by $2,677 in 2022 by whycombagator on Wednesday January 04, 2023 @10:22AM (#34246542)

I don’t use any numbers. Just wanted to point out there is slightly more to it than the upfront cost. As with anything there is an associated maintenance cost that is variable depending on circumstance.

To be clear I think solar panels can be a great idea, but it’s misleading to present only a single upfront cost when determining the years to break even

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Re:Solar Panels Reduced My Electric Bill by $2,677 in 2022 by 1123581321 on Wednesday January 04, 2023 @10:41AM (#34246841)

I understand. It's not bad to keep in mind (I made a spreadsheet with anticipated expenses before I got my panels), but I think it can be more misleading to dwell on small risks than not to if it keeps someone from buying an asset with a good lifetime ROI for most people.

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