Just got in a heated debate about solar panels...

I was grabbing coffee yesterday and overheard two guys arguing about whether solar panels actually pay off in cloudy states like here in Portland. One guy said he saved $1,200 in his first year with a 5kW setup, but the other claimed his inverter died after 18 months and wiped out all his gains. I've been thinking about getting panels for my house, but hearing both sides makes me wonder... has anyone here done the math on break-even times for Pacific Northwest weather?

2 comments

2 Comments

gibson.seth1d ago

Got a 4.8kW system installed two years ago here in Eugene. Paid $14,500 after tax credits and I'm averaging about $1,100 in savings per year. My inverter is still running fine but I did have a panel connector fail last winter. Took three weeks to get a replacement under warranty so I was down that whole time. My math says I'll break even around year 8 or 9 if nothing major breaks. The cloudy days hurt more than I expected but the summer months make up for it.

skylerm5514h ago

Yeah that connector thing is a pain. I keep a spare on hand now after my first one went out during a heatwave. Easy swap if you don't mind flipping the breaker.

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