 That question cannot be answered without doing a little detective work. It’s like asking how much it will cost to feed 50 people. That would depend on whether you were feeding them hotdogs or filet mignon, right? Some houses use modest amounts of electricity; others use enormous amounts. We see them all, and in fact, design solar electric systems for all ranges.
Before we are able to design a system we have to know:
• How many kilowatt hours a month you use currently. This information can be found on your electric bill.
• Where you live. (so we can estimate how many hours a day the sun shines.)
• Where you will be able to install the panels. (A south facing roof is best.)
• How much of your electric bill you can afford to offset with solar.
With Wholesale Solar’s current pricing (January, 2010) a medium sized gridtie system that generates about 475 kWh a month would cost about about $12,000 BEFORE the 30% federal tax credit and rebates offered by your state or utility company. This particular system includes fifteen 210 watt solar panels and IronRidge racking. The Federal tax credit would take the cost down to $8,000. This price does not include installation, which varies tremendously by locale. Take a look at tax incentives for your state.
This above system (475 kWh a month) is similar to the one that Wholesale Solar owners Mark and Ellen Coleman have on their Mt. Shasta home. For most months of the year we have a $0 electricity bill. When the sun shines our meter turns backwards as we feed electricity back through the utility grid. When the sun in not shining we pull that electricity back out to power our well insulated, passive solar home.
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| THE COST OF A SOLAR ELECTRIC SYSTEM: RELEVANT TOPICS
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Figuring return on our investment was easy. Our house is easily worth $8,000 more because it is produces all the electricity it needs and will continue to do so through our retirement and for the future life of the house. If we want a bigger refrigerator or need more appliances, we figure the electrical usage and cost of additional solar equipment to power them into consideration in the purchase process.
Another answer to your question, How much will it cost?
The Northern California Solar Energy association estimates that $7-$12 per watt (DC) is a ballpark range for an installed solar electric (PV) system before incentives. At this writing (January, 2010), the California State solar rebate is about $1.60 -$1.80 per watt and there is a federal tax credit of 30% of the cost of your system, including installation.
We think that $7 - $12 is high if you are able to do any of the installation yourself or if you are able to price shop for installers. Electricians typically charge more than building contractors and expect to make a percentage off the price of the solar equipment also. But this varies tremendously, and you may not have the option of price shopping for installation. |
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