Solar is a growing trend, and the more the industry develops, the more affordable the technology becomes. But just how much does it cost to get in the game, and when does the technology pay itself off?
In a viral video, YouTuber Marques Brownlee (@mkbhd), broke down the hard numbers of owning a solar roof that powers his house and electric vehicle. Platforms like EnergySage can help you make the same calculations for your own home.
The video — currently at 14 million views — describes his integrated solar setup, which consists of a new Tesla solar tile roof, three Tesla Powerwalls (batteries), and a Tesla app to manage his home solar system.
"The main reason I went this route was for simplicity and integration. I paid a price premium for this. This was not the cheapest option," Marques admitted in his video.
The Tesla solar tile roof collects solar energy from each tile panel, maximizing the power produced from Marques' solar array. A portion (or all) of the energy produced by his solar system powers the house.
Any excess solar energy produced is stored in the three Tesla Powerwall batteries. When those batteries are charged, excess energy gets sent back to the power grid for energy credits when he needs more power from the grid.
Marques has a net-zero home — a home that produces as much renewable energy as it uses, which reduces the amount of carbon released from dirty energy sources powering homes.
In fact, most months are "net negative" for Marques. His solar system produces more energy than his house and electric vehicle uses, allowing him to roll over energy credits for those colder or hotter months when he pulls more energy from the grid. This surplus of credits balances his energy bills to a total of $0.
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Since he drives an electric vehicle as well, Marques saves money on gas and car maintenance.
Going solar allows homeowners to save on or eliminate energy bills, reduce dependence on dirty energy sources, and limit the harmful pollution that contributes to the planet's warming. EnergySage is a free tool that connects you with solar experts who will execute your solar project smoothly, at a cheaper price.
For Marques' solar setup, was it worth it?
He believes it was. He's significantly reduced his energy bill, and after nine and a half years of owning solar, his system will have paid itself off.
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Many folks were impressed with the clarity and depth of Marques' video.
"I've been in solar sales for 8 years and this has to be one of the best explanation and representations of how solar and net metering works," one commenter wrote.
"As an energy policy analyst … I've worked with datasets or statistics averaging these kind of metrics… But a story like this really brings such a detailed zoom in on an experience," another commented.
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