When I ask why they’re not adding photovoltaic panels to their home, or changing to electric cars, the biggest reason I hear from people is …
“I can’t afford that kind of money.”
I don’t understand that, because I have a 5kW array of photovoltaic panels and an electric car, and have no utility bill – unless my spouse uses her pottery kiln three times in the month. Even then, our bill is around $30. So, for his week’s blog …
I thought I’d lay out a process for determining what the real cost is for going solar. I’ll use numbers I got from Google. You can repeat the process using numbers that are more specific to your location and situation. To begin …
When I created the Garden Atrium homes – which are 3 BR, 2 bath, one story, 2352 sf, like a typical “rancher” home in size, but designed differently – we found that a 3kW photovoltaic array satisfied 100% of the family’s power. (A family with two teenage kids, or with a woodworking hobby with power tools, might need more power. A family of empty nesters, might need less.)
I recently asked our photovoltaic provider for an installed cost estimate; it was $5,000 per kWh. So, for our normal size homes, a 3kW PV array would run $15,000. When I built the last Garden Atrium, which is the same size as the rest – plus my wife’s pottery studio, with kiln – I got a 5kW array. So …
If you live in an average sized home, what ‘s your cost to go solar?
Google tells me that the average size home is 2013 sf, though “normal” is 2500 sf. Either is close to the size of our Garden Atrium homes, so I’ll use our numbers as a “reality base,” assuming you have south-facing sun. So …
5kW PV array = $25,000
Subtracting the 30% federal solar tax credit …
$25,000 – $7,500 = $17,500.
Adding a new electric car, you can now buy a variety of e-cars, with body styles and recharge distances you prefer, for $30,000. The 30% federal solar tax credit has a maximum allowed of $7,500. Adding these costs …
$30,000 – $7,500 = $22,500 for a new e-car, +
$17,500 for the 5kW PV array = $40,000. However …
Most of us don’t just write a check for $40,000. We also don’t write a check for the cost of the home we want to buy. We get a mortgage. So …
How much does $40,000 add to a mortgage?
Using today’s higher interest rates, $40,000 at 6.0% = $240/month for a new car, all the fuel you need to operate that car and to power your home. You might already see that as saving money. But there’s more …
From Google, the average cost of gas is $3.93/gallon.
(It’ll vary with where you are and the grade of gas you buy.)
From Google, the average annual number of miles we drive is 13,476.
From Google, the average miles per gallon is 25.4.
(This varies all over with the vehicle you’re driving.)
13,476 miles/25.4 mpg = 531 gallons x $3.93 = $2085/yr
or $174/mo.
If we subtract the gasoline savings from the monthly mortgage …
$240 – $174 = $66.
So … using average numbers from Google, the cost for a new electric car and all the power you need for your car and your home is only $66 a month.
Variables …
If you’re selling or trading in your gas car, your monthly costs are even less.
If your car uses a higher gas grade or has lower mpg, costs are less again.
Annual maintenance on my e-car, checking the battery, tires & brakes, is around $230. My gas car, runs over $700. It’s another $40/month savings.
If your state requires the electric utility to generate a percent of its power with renewable resources, you can get “srec” (solar renewable energy credits) money from the utility company via a trader, such as Sol Systems, in D.C.
Highway maintenance is partly paid by a gas tax. To compensate for lost revenue, some states add a fee to e-car license plates. In VA, we pay $120.
In summary …
You’ve seen forecasts for global warming. And reality has been happening slightly stronger and slightly sooner than predicted. 2023 has been the warmest year on record. Is that a serious enough concern, or …
Do you want to wait until flood waters are actually lapping at your door?
Or until forest fires get closer to your home?
The multi-billionaires have been acquiring huge yachts; they can move to wherever a major storm is not happening. And they have the wherewithal to pay whatever’s needed for remaining food supplies. Understandably, they take care of themselves first; we all take care of family first. However …
I don’t have their luxury. You probably don’t either. The question then is …
How close do you need to get to the edge
of disaster before you’re willing to act?
And so, dear reader, please take a moment to reflect and ask yourself what you actually might be able to do. We all have busy lives, with demands on our time and things we most enjoy doing, and financial limits. But every even small, insignificant thing you can do, will add to what others can do.
Collectively, we can create consumer pressure that can make the difference between Earth as a dump we’ve trashed or … as a place for a joyful life!
In terms of “going solar” …
Instead of using the numbers I got from Google, or the numbers I actually have from my Garden Atrium home, substitute your own numbers. But …
If someone tells you they can’t afford to add PV panels to their roof, or buy an e-car, they’re wrong!
I don’t sell e-cars. And I don’t sell PV panels. But I do care about the health of Earth and about my own quality-of-life experience. As these numbers show, going solar is unquestionably better for Earth and …
a lot less expensive for us !
What’s holding you back now?
