blorg said:
Am I missing something? What would be the ENVIRONMENTAL reasons for installing solar panels on your home in Washington?
Don't get me wrong, there are other benefits. If you're going to have the system a long time it can pay for itself and start making a profit (after a large up front cost, that takes a while). It can also shade your house in the summer (sun hitting the panels rather than heating up your roof) meaning a cooler house without AC. It's a tech toy (which is always a big plus in my book). You're showing support for the industry and local jobs (if you buy local manufactured panels). I'm just wondering if it's really the right thing to do.
About the incentives: I think its ok, because as you said, we are supporting a local industry. That is what incentives are for.
Money-wise
I pondered this for a long time...Moneywise it is NOT a wise move, but no a terrible either. If I recoup say a $30k investment in solar panels over a 10 year period (and make ~ 400-500 $ (not corrected for inflation) annually after the incentives run out , thanks to the ridiculously low electricity cost here (tier 1 is just 0.046 c/kWH for me)), this cannot by any means beat putting that same amount of money into my mortgage (which would earn me the equivalent of my mortgage interest rate on the $30k for the duration oft he mortgage) or into even mediocre investment vehicle earning say 4% a year.
If you assume that rate of return, then the solar panels would have to make $44k after 10 years to break even...Ok, you would still have the material value of the panels, but I doubt that people will appreciate this and reflect in e.g. a higher value of my house. I had an appraisal at the beginning of 2011 and the solar panels did add exactly 0$ to the value...
But as you say, its a cool tech-toy, nominally, you can still get your investment back in Washington State over 10 years, and there is still the possibility that energy prices will go up significantly at which point maybe the panels can compete with Wall Street...
Then of course there is the long term value, which will hopefully benefit my children and grandchildren, a world as nice to live in as I will hopefully have had it in my lifetime.
About the environmental impact:
1)The region is growing, so there is real need for more energy...maybe not right now, but as soon as the economy picks up things might change. For every kWH produced right now with solar, the coal powered plants can run a little less than they would have to otherwise.
2) I increased my annual electricity consumption by ~ 2000 kWH due to the LEAF, which is offset by the solar panels. So the car is really CO2 neutral.
3) Eventually the powergrid in the US will be modernized and exchange of excess energy between the local networks will become easier than it is now and then it wont matter if there is a glut of green energy in the Northwest, because this can then be used to truly offset "dirty" energy production elsewhere.