Everything You Need To Know About Adding Solar Panels At Home

If you’re considering solar, and you’re like most people, one of the first questions you may ask is: How much do solar panels cost? Solar is a great idea for many people, not only to cut their utility bills but also to reduce their dependence on their utility, while also cutting their own personal footprint. The cost of solar is one major element in the decision to go solar, however.

I can very easily answer the question “How much do solar panels cost?” (see below), but I think the real question you’re asking is “How much will it cost to put solar panels on my roof?” That’s a more complicated question to answer, but I’ll explain in more detail and provide some useful perspective on that in the article below.

How Much Do Solar Panels Cost Today?

Solar panels themselves are now a global product. There’s tremendous variation in the cost of solar panels based on the type and efficiency of the solar panels. However, the type of panels used for residential solar installations is quite standard and the costs are basically set globally. That cost has fallen tremendously within the past few years — they’re now about half the price they were in 2008, and about 100 times lower than they were back in 1977. The latest US Solar Market Insight report (from Q3) put the price at $0.70/watt. A report from REC Solar shows that the price in Q2 as a bit higher — about $0.73/watt. Still, the price is very low compared to 2008 or 2009, and insanely low compared to 2000.

How Much Do Solar Panels Cost… On My Roof?

But when you ask “How much do solar panels cost?,” what I think you really want to know is how much it costs to put solar panels on your roof, right?

The bulk of the price of going solar is now the “soft costs” (installation, permitting, etc.) rather than the solar panel cost. Again referencing the latest US Solar Market Insight report, the average installed cost of a residential solar panel system was $4.72/watt. However, prices vary tremendously by region. “Common residential system prices ranged from less than $3.00/W to just above $7.00/W,” the Solar Energy Industries Association writes. The total price of a system, of course, varies tremendously based on the size of your roof and your electricity needs.

So, the key is really just to get an initial quote and then get a closer look at your situation from a local installer, who can give you a more specific quote.

How Much Does It Cost To Go Solar? & How Much Will I Save?

But when it comes down to it, what you probably really need to know is how much it will cost you to actually go solar. And a related question would be how much you will save in the long run.

In many places now, you can go solar for $0 or close to $0 down through solar leasing companies or through simple bank loans. Then you’re just paying monthly payments like you would on a house, car, or college loan. However, in this case, your payments are likely to be less than the amount of money you’re saving on your electricity bill. So, really, you’re not paying any more than you’re already paying for electricity… you’re saving money!

Studies have found that the average solar homeowner will save about $20,000 over 20 years from going solar. In three of the four most populous states in the country, that 20-year total is actually $30,000. In Hawaii, it’s up above $60,000! And that’s just the average.

But, again, the financing options and the savings really depend on where you live and some personal circumstances (like how much you’re spending on electricity right now). So, what you really need to do is get a solar quote if you’re interested in finding out how much solar panels cost for you.

Jubilus Joy

How perfect...

I get to HOP for joy! It's a blog hop! Hosted by the amazing ladies, Kyra Lennon and Clare Dugmore!

Oh my! So many things give me joy~ my husband, my kids, my critters, my family, my peeps~

but if I had to pick my single most super-special source of jubilus joy, I have to pick this guy:

Yep. That's Jesus.

Well, it's a picture of Jesus. And I love it! It reminds me of when I was a little girl. My church had the huge  stained glass windows, and on one of them was a depiction of the happiest, sweetest looking Jesus hanging out with fluffy white sheep.

I loved that scene. Loved it so much in fact, my poor parents had to put up with my incessant demanding, "I wanna play with Jesus!!"

 I'm sure they got a little anxious...I mean come on, your normally sweet tempered, angelic child (I can get away with that...my family never reads my blog) is screeching and squirming, interrupting services to be allowed to leave the pew and play with Jesus.

That had to be all sorts of "I see dead people" kind of creepy.

Eventually they realized young blondie  just wanted to go climb into the stained glass window and hang out for a while.

Whew! Nothing abnormal about that.

Now, don't mistake that as me saying I am very good at being religious. Or even very good at being good.

Heck, my son's friend came for dinner, paused to bless his food, and I scared the daylights out of him by asking if he had a seizure. No, I wasn't making fun of the kid. I was feeding a bunch of boys...assembly line style...and he took the plate and paused right there, bowed his head, and did his blessing. Me, being the shoddy religious observer that I am? My first thought was, "Oh no! Petit mal!"

Obviously, I'm never going to win the devoutest Christian award, but I am devoted. Not so much to the religion, but to the holy triad...the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. He's my buddy.

Ever have a friend who's kinda dorky and predictably screws up, but you still love them?

That's me. I'm Jesus's dorky friend.

(I can see Him now, He's shaking His head and saying, "She said dork and Jesus all in the same post. I'm gonna be pestered by Evangelicals all day long now.")

To wrap it up...and to say adieu to a great man...in the words of Pope Benedict XVI:

"The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers."

About Metal Roofs

There is something about the sight of dampness on the ceiling that sends my blood pressure soaring. We had spots of roof leaks in various parts of the penthouse and they caused me no end of worry. Of course, the management committee fixed every spot because it is responsible for all roof leaks in penthouses. But it was a hassle still.

There is something third world-ish and forlorn about staying in a place that lets water in when it rains. Think a beggar dressed in rags crouching by a straw bed in the squalor of an abandoned buddhist temple with a hole in the roof and water dripping through. One cannot feel safe and warm when the roof threatens to pour a deluge. Maybe that is why cavemen lodged in caves, where the roof is as thick and strong as the whole mountain cradling the cave to its bosom.

It was for this reason that I requested for a industrial metal roof with double density heat insulation and an added cement board layer. The new house is much cooler than my penthouse on hot days. Metal roofs come in a few designs. The Klip-Lok design is what is commonly seen in the HDB industrial estates. It is also the most robust and leak proof of all the roof profiles... and is the cheapest. See picture here.

The very reason that makes the Klip-Lok is ugly is the very reason that it is robust against leaks. The seams (i.e., the ridges) are double interlocked and therefore offer added protection against leaks. But because they are double interlocked, they are also thicker. Roof workers can stand on these thick seams without fear of damaging the roof, and over time the double interlocking joints these Klip-Lok roofs wear better. When I did my research on roofs, a reputable roofing specialist explained that Select Seam (the most popular metal roof for residential houses) tends to spring some leaks after 5 years because the seams overlap only once, instead of twice. See picture here.

So how does Klip-Lok compare to tiled roofs? My clerk-of-works explained that tiled roofs tend to get brittle over the years, and when you send workers up there to do maintenance on whatever... the tiles can crack. Also, each tile is smaller than each sheet of metal roof. There are thus more joints. These joints are not sealed. A tiled roof works by channelling the flow of water from one tile to the next so that water does not drop through. However, if the roof pitch is too gentle, the flow of water moves downwards across tiles slowly and could overflow into the gaps between the tiles and leak into your house. I was told that a tiled roof should not be less than 30 degrees in pitch, whilst a metal roof can be pitched at 7 degrees only. It seems too, that in Australia, Klip-Lok is used often for residential properties. The notion that the Klip-Lok roof is a cheap factory roof seems to be a cultural bias specific to Singapore.

I'm trying to comfort myself with the thought that it's not WHAT you wear baby, it's HOW you wear it. I am hoping that my house can wear the Klip-Lok in a manner that would make it look good.

Hope!!