| In our search for new forms of sustainable power | | | | What is my Solar Power Payback Time? |
| many scientists have focused on using the energy of | | | | As a result of the number of variables involved in |
| our sun. Photovoltaic cells or solar cells convert one | | | | calculating a particular solar payback time I |
| form of energy, sunlight, into another form of energy, | | | | recommend using a tool such as the OnGrid Solar |
| electricity. While the creative idea of getting "free" | | | | Financial Analysis Tool. They offer a free demo |
| energy from the sun is attractive to most, many | | | | version of their tool that can help you calculate your |
| consumers have concerns about the initial expense of | | | | personal solar power payback time. The OnGrid Solar |
| installing a solar power system. That's why the key to | | | | Financial Analysis Tool is available here: |
| purchasing the right solar system for you lies in the | | | | - |
| "Solar Power Payback Time." | | | | While calculating your solar power payback gives you |
| Solar Power Payback Times for Solar for | | | | a financial picture of the total cost of ownership for |
| Photovoltaic Technologies | | | | your new solar system it doesn't take in to |
| When considering the transition to, or even adding in | | | | consideration the environmental cost. To gauge the |
| supplement, solar power, many consumers have | | | | environmental cost of a solar system you need to |
| concerns over the initial expense. It's easy to | | | | evaluate its Energy Payback Time. |
| understand that over the long haul solar power will pay | | | | Energy Payback Times for Solar for Photovoltaic |
| for itself, but how do you calculate exactly how long it | | | | Technologies |
| will take? To calculate your payback time you will | | | | According to the US DOE's Energy Efficiency and |
| need to evaluate several factors that can influence | | | | Renewable Energy (EERE) group the "Energy |
| your payback: | | | | payback time (EPBT) is the length of deployment |
| - Local Climate | | | | required for a photovoltaic system to generate an |
| - State or Federal Incentives/Rebates | | | | amount of energy equal to the total energy that went |
| - State Tax Credits | | | | into its production." |
| - Local Utility Pricing | | | | The energy payback time for solar power is based on |
| - Net-Metering Availability | | | | three determining factors: |
| Solar Power and Rising Electricity Costs | | | | - The efficiency of the photovoltaic system |
| Solar power is a unique resource because it is | | | | - The amount of sunlight the photovoltaic system |
| protected from inflation - as electricity costs inevitably | | | | recieves |
| continues to rise, any electricity you generate using | | | | - The manufacturing technology used to create the |
| your solar system will counter electricity charges at | | | | photovoltaic cells |
| the current market price. The more electricity rates | | | | Using some average sunlight values, "about 1700 kWh |
| continue to rise, the more you will save. | | | | m2/ yr average for southern Europe and about 1800 |
| If you generate excess electricity, under the right | | | | kWh/m2/ yr average for the United States," the EERE |
| conditions such as net-metering, it is even possible for | | | | provides pre-calculated energy paypack times for a |
| you to generate a monthly profit from your solar | | | | number of solar cell technologies: |
| system. | | | | - Single-crystal Silicon - 2.7 years |
| Finding State and Federal Incentives or Rebates | | | | - Non-ribbon Multicrystalline Silicon - 2.2 years |
| Depending upon the state you live in you may qualify | | | | - Ribbon Multicrystalline Silicon - 1.7 years |
| for incentives and rebates that cover as much as | | | | - Cadmium Telluride - 1.0 years |
| 60% of the total cost of installing a new solar system. | | | | When one considers rising energy costs and the |
| How do you find what incentives and rebates you | | | | relatively low energy payback times for a variety of |
| qualify for? Using the free web-based tool titled | | | | popular solar cells it's easy to see solar power as a |
| Database of State Incentives for Renewable & | | | | reasonable alternative to rising energy costs. While it's |
| Efficiency (DSIRE), run by the North Carolina Solar | | | | true solar cells do require large quantities of energy to |
| Center, it's easy to find the incentives and rebates you | | | | manufacture, and they also utilize precious limited |
| qualify for. You can find the DSIRE here: | | | | resources such as silicon, copper and cadmium - in |
| - | | | | many cases they offer reasonable energy payback |
| What is Net-Metering? | | | | times. Even considering the overall environmental cost, |
| Net-metering is a system that allow excess user | | | | solar power may be exactly what the world needs to |
| generated solar energy to be sold back to your local | | | | wean itself off its fossil fuel dependency. Help fight |
| electric company. Depending upon how much | | | | global warming by moving away from fossil fuel |
| electricity you generate this may provide you either a | | | | generated electricity and moving towards solar power. |
| monthly discount or a net monthly profit. | | | | |