The two tables below come from Energy Trust of Oregon. They outline what the costs and earnings would be for a typical solar electricity system (photovoltaic system) in Lake County, Oregon for Pacific Power customers. As Pacific Power is a public utility it is mandated to provide financial assistance for the renewable energy purchases of its customers.
The assumptions used to form the tables below are: the household is a Pacific Power customer, the home is located in Lakeview, Oregon, the solar system size is 3,000 Watt-dc, and the costs per Watt is $4.50.
As the tables show, the total costs of a photovoltaic system could be as low as $1,875 and it could earn $410 a year, that’s a 21% annual return on investment. Considering, the stock market rarely achieves a 10% annual return on investment, photovoltaic panels could make a lot of sense for both your home and your bank account.
Costs and Earnings of a Typical Solar Electric System in Lake County, Oregon | |
---|---|
System Size | 3,000 Watt-dc |
Percentage of total power use provided by solar system: | 37% |
Price Tag @ $4.50 per Watt | $13,500 |
Incentives | |
Energy Trust of Oregon | $2,250 |
OR Tax Credit (take over 4 years, up to $1,500 per year) | $6,000 |
Federal Tax Credit | $5,175 |
Year 1 Net Cost (including only first year of OR Tax Credit) | $6,375 |
Total Net Cost | |
System Cost after Incentives (using remaining 3 years of the OR Tax Credit) | $1,875 |
Monthly & Annual Earnings: Solar Electric Panels; Lake County, Oregon | |||
Without Solar | With Solar | Solar Earnings | |
---|---|---|---|
January | $108 | $88 | $20 |
February | $91 | $65 | $26 |
March | $93 | $60 | $32 |
April | $89 | $49 | $39 |
May | $88 | $45 | $43 |
June | $100 | $55 | $45 |
July | $119 | $70 | $49 |
August | $111 | $65 | $47 |
September | $101 | $60 | $41 |
October | $94 | $62 | $32 |
November | $97 | $79 | $19 |
December | $110 | $93 | $17 |
TOTAL | $1,200 | $790 | $410 |