this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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I just got a DIY kit quote for solar and it's ~$18,000. That would mean a contractor installing is at least $25,000 if not more. That's a big chunk of change upfront.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Did you just learn that some people have more money than you?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (2 children)

You'd have to consider also long-term maintenance and repair costs to that ...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

Typically if you can afford a $25k upfront cost, the long term costs are pretty negligible.

If you're paying cash, then your monthly expenses are only going down due to your reduced electricity bill, so your savings potential is going up further.

Additionally the panels are warrantied for at least a decade, with a performance guarantee for 20+ years. If they're installed on your roof, many also include a guarantee on the roof work.

Proactive solar maintenance is really just keeping things clean, which costs very little.

These small costs do add up if you're barely making ends meet and on a lease plan that costs roughly the same as your old utility bill, but for the group paying upfront, ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago

And also nobody talks about the manufacturing costs which are huge!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

And no plans are in place for the disposal of panels, batteries, etc after their 25 year useful life...

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Lithium batteries are highly recyclable... The current rate is something like 60% recovery, and that is bound to increase over time.