Skip to main content
Solar

What Most People Don’t Know About Solar

You can knock down 15 to 30% of a normal solar system cost by increasing the efficiency of your home through our Aeroseal service.

In 1970 some clean air act mandates were put in place. In that time they started carbon taxes or fees for producing over X amount of emissions. In 2008, Obama and his administration redacted the clean air act mandate and called for a 32% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. Rocky Mountain Power and all other power companies are already converting various coal plants into solar farms and natural gas. So the question is more do I want to keep renting my power from Warren Buffet owner at Rocky MP or own it myself? By 2030, at least 30% of your energy will be coming from renewable energy either way.

Over the past 20 years it’s been about a 102% increase from rates in 2001 compared to today’s rates 2021. That averages to a 5.1% increase a year (9.95 / 4.92 then divided by 20 years). The last 10 years it averaged out to be about 5.2% increased annually (9.95 / 6.54 then divided by 10 years).

Rate increases in Idaho over the years:
2001 – 4.92 cents/kWh average
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/state/archive/sep2010.pdf Page 55 (60 on PDF)
Average Retail Prices

2010 – 6.54 cents/kWh average
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/state/archive/sep2010.pdf Page 77 (80 on PDF)
Average Retail Prices

2021 – 9.95 cents/kWh average
https://www.eia.gov/state/data.php?sid=ID#Prices Average Retail Prices

Since the changes, rates have increased at about 5.1% annually. It is expected to do the same at least into 2030 when the mandates are fulfilled. To give you an idea of what that looks like, let’s take your average and bump it up 3%, to be conservative:

  • Current Bill:  156
  • Your Fixed Energy with Solar would be $147
  • Full battery back-up: $207
  • Savings (Unrealistic – Assuming no rate increases ever): about $3,000
  • Savings (conservative 3% increase): about $9,000
  • Savings (Historic 5% increase): About $18,000
  • 25 year warranty on panels (REC 365’s) – if degrades by more than 1/2 of 1% in a given year your panels are replaced for free
  • 25 year inverter warranty (Enphase IQ7+) – converts solar power to usable power in the home and lets you see in real time via an app what your panels are doing efficiency wise
  • 10 year roof and install warranty – covers any damage caused by our techs when installing the solar
  • Financing
    • Not tied to DTI
    • No Lien on property
    • 18 month grace period – Allows you to get tax credits and apply them as well as any extra you would like before the end of 18 months. Then it is reamoritized at the new principal amount
    • Transferable with Move (very easy to do)

Leave a Reply