Depending on the rebates and incentives available, your electricity rate plan, and the cost of installing storage, you can expect a range of energy storage payback periods. On the low end, you can expect storage to pay for itself in five years if robust state-level incentives are available.
Converting to solar power is a major investment, and most homeowners want to know how long it will take to recoup their money. This time frame, known as the solar panel payback period, averages between six and 10 years for most residential solar installations.
Does solar-plus-storage work on residential rooftops?
Solar-plus-storage on residential rooftops pencils out in only a handful of markets. Here's how the numbers work. Let's be blunt: In most states, adding batteries to a residential solar system will significantly slow down the payback period. According to five-year-old Census data, around 18.3% of homes claim to have home generators.
How do I know if a solar contractor has a payback period?
There's a decent chance your contractor will have a spreadsheet-style document with all the details you need to understand your payback period. That document will typically pull information from multiple resources and tools generally available to solar contractors. For instance, when we worked the angles on our roof, we used a tool called PVWatts.
Keep in mind that your solar power system will degrade over time, lowering its electricity output. On average, solar degradation rates are 1-3% in the first year, and 0.5% in later years. That means that by year 25, your solar system will probably be operating at 85% of its original output.
Is residential solar+energy storage financially viable?
Most residential solar+energy storage is not financially viable for two main reasons. The growing installation base of residential batteries comports with prior surveys suggesting that nearly 75% of consumers interested in solar also have a strong interest in energy storage. Viable?
Are solar tax credits a good idea?
One of the most common up-front credits that homeowners take advantage of is the federal solar tax credit, which provides a tax credit equal to 30% of your installation costs on your owed federal taxes. Reducing your initial investment costs will improve your solar payback period and ROI.