Hello everyone,
Despite extensive forum searches and researching sample calculations online, I have not yet found a satisfactory answer: Is a solar panel system on the roof really worth it?
It’s actually quite simple—you compare the additional costs with the ongoing savings on energy bills, add in maintenance costs and so on. Then, of course, you need to account for the opportunity cost of the capital invested. Naturally, you also have to make some assumptions, for example about the future development of electricity prices.
Can anyone share real-life experiences to shed some light on this?
Best regards
HB1
Despite extensive forum searches and researching sample calculations online, I have not yet found a satisfactory answer: Is a solar panel system on the roof really worth it?
It’s actually quite simple—you compare the additional costs with the ongoing savings on energy bills, add in maintenance costs and so on. Then, of course, you need to account for the opportunity cost of the capital invested. Naturally, you also have to make some assumptions, for example about the future development of electricity prices.
Can anyone share real-life experiences to shed some light on this?
Best regards
HB1
If you install the solar thermal system completely by yourself, including the buffer tank and a suitably larger size, it can pay off financially quite quickly thanks to the BAfA subsidy.
With professional installation, this only makes sense if you have a very high hot water demand.
As for photovoltaics, I’m too lazy to do the calculations now. Everyone can do that themselves.
Regards, Joe
With professional installation, this only makes sense if you have a very high hot water demand.
As for photovoltaics, I’m too lazy to do the calculations now. Everyone can do that themselves.
Regards, Joe
H
Hausbauer111 Jul 2017 10:1777.willo schrieb:
What does "worth it" mean for you? Compared to which other investment types or ROI?At least a payback of the costs over the lifespan. But it would probably be more reasonable to set a minimum of 3-4% per year.
Then calculate the cost divided by the service life in years plus the cost multiplied by 0.035 and see if that will be your annual return. It only gets complicated if this is not the case and you have only used the current electricity price without making any estimates for the future...
K
Knallkörper11 Jul 2017 13:33Many people make the result look better when it comes to photovoltaics by assuming a too high self-consumption. This is probably also the factor that is the most difficult to estimate. For me, I would say that photovoltaics are worthwhile if they pay off after 15 years WITHOUT considering self-consumption.
It is not possible to give a general answer without knowing the entire system.
For photovoltaics, much depends on self-consumption, as @Knallkörper already mentioned (but it can also work without it). It pairs well with heat pumps or households with other large electricity consumers.
For solar thermal systems used for domestic hot water, they are quite effective if there is a lot of bathing or if a whirlpool or pool is heated this way. The warm water is stored in relatively large buffer tanks, which make sense for gas or pellet heating systems, but less so for heat pumps.
Solar thermal systems for heating support, in my experience, are usually viewed very critically because solar thermal produces a lot in summer when the heating is off, and in winter the opposite is true. It seems like a flawed system (also due to the comparatively high investment costs caused by the size of the collectors).
For photovoltaics, much depends on self-consumption, as @Knallkörper already mentioned (but it can also work without it). It pairs well with heat pumps or households with other large electricity consumers.
For solar thermal systems used for domestic hot water, they are quite effective if there is a lot of bathing or if a whirlpool or pool is heated this way. The warm water is stored in relatively large buffer tanks, which make sense for gas or pellet heating systems, but less so for heat pumps.
Solar thermal systems for heating support, in my experience, are usually viewed very critically because solar thermal produces a lot in summer when the heating is off, and in winter the opposite is true. It seems like a flawed system (also due to the comparatively high investment costs caused by the size of the collectors).
If I may add something here. Also keep in mind that with a photovoltaic system where the electricity is fed into the public grid, there are business income considerations that require filing a tax return (which might be relevant if you have never done one before).
Photovoltaics are more efficient when the generated electricity is used directly. The depreciation period, if I remember correctly, is 20 years for the general system, and 10 years for a solar thermal system.
Photovoltaics are more efficient when the generated electricity is used directly. The depreciation period, if I remember correctly, is 20 years for the general system, and 10 years for a solar thermal system.
Similar topics