Buying Solar Panels Vs Paying For Electricity

Power purchase agreements ppas work much like solar leases but instead of renting the system you agree to pay a set price for the electricity the system produces.

Buying solar panels vs paying for electricity.

The main practical distinction between buying and leasing a solar pv system is in ownership. When you purchase solar panels you pay off the system immediately and then have no more monthly payments. Clearly solar power is more cost effective than regular or standard electricity. An average sized residential solar system about 400 square feet of solar panels costs 18 000 according to the solar energy industries association an industry group.

However when you buy the system outright your long term savings will be substantially larger. According to the world economic forum wef installing new solar panels is cheaper than a comparable investment in coal natural gas or other fossil fuel options. If you buy a solar panel system you own the system either outright if purchasing with cash or after repaying your solar loan. Decide how you re going to pay for the system purchase lease or what s known as a solar power purchase agreement in which the consumer buys the power but doesn t own the system.

In others you ll pay 20 cents or more. If your electric rates are high you ll pay off the cost a lot sooner according to the solar energy industries association. For example electricity from utility scale solar systems typically large arrays where panels slowly change tilt and orientation to face the sun all day usually costs less than electricity produced from solar panels fixed on someone s home. The tax break reduces.

You pay your utility company for every kilowatt hour kwh of electricity you use and your rate varies significantly depending on where you live. Cash buying your solar electric system outright is best. Taking out a solar loan will also give you much greater long term savings than if you lease solar panels. The higher your bill the more likely you ll benefit from switching.

If you lease the system or sign a power purchase agreement ppa a third party owns the solar panel system. In some parts of the country you can pay as little as 8 cents per kwh. It usually costs 15 000 to 20 000 after tax credits and can reduce your electricity bill by 70 to 100 percent depending on the size and. Solar panels generate their own power and can therefore greatly offset your monthly electricity bill if not eliminate it.