Would you believe that Denver and Los Angeles have a similar return on a solar investment? Or that Brooklyn has better returns than either of those locations? Or that installing a solar system in Minneapolis or Portland, Oregon, could pay-off? These are the questions that a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article answered when it analyzed the economics of installing residential solar in five major U.S. cities. The report helped illustrate that the economic value of solar is not solely dependent on whether the sun shines brightly year-round. Other variables such as electricity rates, usage, tax credits and rebates also have a significant impact.
How can you tell if installing a solar system might be a good option for you? Like the WSJ, you could take advantage of Clean Power Estimator®, a solar calculator that will give you a meaningful economic analysis based on a few simple inputs, such as ZIP code, annual energy use and PV system size. Today Clean Power Estimator is the calculation engine for most solar calculators found on websites across the U.S. – from manufacturers and dealers, to utilities and energy agencies.
Check out the graphic below to see a summary of the analysis, or read the full article: “The Economics of Installing Solar.”
