Solar Power Is A Scam

Solar power is the next thing to a scam. Its seen as a silver bullet in the effort to combat global warming, but rarely if ever are its drawbacks detailed. A 1500 square foot home with an average electrical consumption of 1000 kwh per month would require an 18,000 watt solar power system, with installation costs ranging from $2.75 per watt for a grid tied system with no battery backup, which would provide somewhere in the neighborhood of 60% of a homes power needs, to $5 per watt for a system with battery backup that would supply 100% of a homes power needs. That means an initial cost of somewhere between $16,500 and $30,000 for a 6 kw system. With an average monthly bill of $160, that means around a 14 to 15.5 year return on investment. There are tax credits available to bring that cost down, so, by robbing your neighbor, you can cut your installation costs by 25-50%, depending on where you live. Add to that the costs of maintenance, which can vary depending on the system but with an almost guaranteed battery replacement, and possibly two, over the life of the system which averages 25-30 years, you're looking at maintenance costing between $5000-$15,000. Then you have the environmental impacts of solar panel and battery production and end of life disposal to worry about. No infrastructure exists today to efficiently recycle solar panels, so they go to landfills where heavy metals used in their production leach into the soil. At the end of the day, it is possible to just about break even on the installation of a solar system, as long as you rob your neighbor to do it.