7 November

We’ll soon have had the solar for a full year. On current calculations, we’ll end that year with zero bills for electricty, plus over $500 surplus, straight into our bank account. Add that to the around $3000-$3500 we would have paid in bills without solar (includes all winter heating, in Lithgow), and that’s the ROI I often talk about. This is with a battery, so zero bills + profit is less likely with just panels, unless you use pretty much all of your electricty when the sun is up. But it’s swings and roundabouts, you’ll also pay less for the system without a battery, so will have a smaller amount to amortise. Most systems should pay for themselves in under 5 years, even under 3. With a battery it takes longer, but you get added benefits along the way. Systems have a lifetime of 20-25 years, so that means decades of nothing but pure profit.