I haven't gone solar yet, but depending on where you are (CA?) there are some changes coming down the road that make it a lot less attractive. They're going to increase "infrastructure fees" only on customers with solar, claiming they aren't paying much for solar, thus not paying their fair share of the system wide infrastructure costs. That seems like BS to me for 2 reasons.
First, if a person had a properly sized solar system with a big enough battery bank, they could be completely self sufficient and would not need the electric company grid at all. So why should they pay for it? That's like charging people who walk to work to pay for fwy improvements. However, the politicians love to do this because the taxes NEVER go to who they claim it does. Look how many different things we pay for that supposedly pays for the schools. Yet the schools had better funding when I was a kid, they had cars to driver's ed, band instruments, orchestra instruments, athletic gear, etc.
Second, one of the bigger supporters of increased fees for solar owners (a front paid for by the electric company) actually admitted it was a "wealth redistribution" plan to shift more costs to those who could afford solar, since they are apparently wealthier, and subsidize those of low incomes. Of course if we follow the money, it will go straight to the profit margin of the electric companies.
Of the several people I know who got solar, 1 of them signed up for the HERO plan and after paying for 8 yrs and thinking he had paid off his solar system at $5,000/yr for 8 yrs = the $40,000 he owed, it turns out they had snuck in loan paperwork and he had signed a loan at a crazy interest rate so now, he still owes the original $40,000 and the $40,000 he already paid was just interest on the loan.
Another friend of mine got a system where they installed the system for free and he had a minimal monthly electric bill from the company that installed the solar. Essentially they own the equipment for 20 yrs, he pays them for electricity which is a lot lower than current rates and after 20 yrs, they turn it all over to him and he's responsible for maintenance and whatever extra he has to pay the local electric company if he uses more than it makes. However, he told me he just got a shockingly huge bill, suppose.ldy from this new infrastructure price hike, but I didn't think it has taken affect immediately.
My next door neighbor bought a ridiculously small system (1200w output for $17,000) and the new owner added on to it, something like another 2500w for another $17,000. I think the first guy got raped, the 2nd owner got screwed.
All this to say, look over the fine print carefully, nobody I know feels they got a fair deal and CA is getting ready to really screw solar owners for more money.
