I just bought "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Building a Solar-Powered Home." I can't wait to start reading it. Once I get done reading it, I would like to eventually have my entire home solar-powered. I know that a complete system is expensive, but I think that if I buy a panel here, and panel there, an inverter here, etc. I could buy the entire system without having to finance it.

Thoughts?

 

My thoughts are: I hope you're planning on staying in that home for a long time or it won't pay itself off.

 

To get collectors and inverters with the efficiency you will need won't be a one off purchase. These aren't the simple panels like you get at Northern Tool or Harbor Freight.

I would love to do some basics like soalr pre heat on the water and some other areas where it will pay off, but the plumbing, etc is then the killer.

Next house maybe the dream of environmentalism will live.

 

Yeah, I thought about that. The typical ROI is about 10-30 years. If you get a very high-end system, something that can sell power back to the power companies, you might be generating more power than you need, hence making money (and not merely conserving it). You will be spending more money in the short term, but the long term will be making money. If I ever win the lottery, or even $50,000, I'm going to do this!