Quote:
Originally Posted by Murf the Surf
How many homes on the planet have solar panels? How many people can afford them even with government grants? How many people can afford an EV as their only car? How many people can afford a new car as their only car. How much will it cost to double capacity and the grid to accommodate wholesale adaptation of EV's, and how much will electircy cost when that happens?
|
You’re pissing into the wind. It’s been mandatory, in California, for every new house “built” since 2018 to have solar panels installed at time of closing.
I paid $17,741 for my 12 panels, which covers the complete cost of my electric for my house, and pays for most of my gas bill. At the time, there was a 30% tax credit now, it’s down to 26%. Which means when I got the tax credit back, (if you’re receiving a refund, which I always have a refund) that made my panel balance $12,369. Which I just ended up writing a check to pay the balance.
But, say you can’t do that? The government subsidized a 1.9% payment plan for 15 years. At $17,741 my monthly payment was $87 a month. At $12,369, if I hadn’t just paid the panels off, the bill would have been in the $60 range. $60 a month for a fixed rate electric bill for 15 years? Where are you going to beat that?
How many people can afford an EV only car? Well, a model 3 long range is $47,240, today. $7,500 federal tax credit, and $2,000 California. That makes the car $38,000ish. 15,000 miles a year for a standard car at $250 a month for fuel.
A Model 3 long range lease for 15k miles a year, is $573 a month. Minus $250 a month for fuel, and you’re at $323.
As of 2023, according to BankRate the “average” car payment is $716 or $41,445.
And how much is electricity going to cost? If you own a house, with a decent solar panel array, it’s paying for itself. Home electricity and battery charging. In California, with the amount of houses with Solar, it’s not doing anything except helping relieve the grid. Electricity can’t be any cheaper than free.
My power company also gives you up to $400 for a home charger install and $2,000 if your circuit breaker panel can’t handle the power and you need to add a sub panel or upgrade your existing electrical panel.
My house is only a few years old and was built with a dummy panel on the side wall for charger install. That’s also been a given for newer home builds, here.