I paid ~$800 for 1.2kW of solar panels on my van in 2023. The 600Ah of LFP was an additional $1,700. I’ve not paid a power bill in 2.5 years. How anyone could choose to not go solar baffles me. I was paying $3/kWh through the city-owned utility. Nominally, it was somewhere around 15 cents, but after all the fees that Austin charges, despite using only 20kWh/month, my bill was $60 at minimum.
The city has now raised rates five times since I went off-grid, so a straight $60 times 30 months undersells the ROI. It would now be $75-80, and $80 times 30 months means I’ll have broken even by May.
Less than three years, and when the power goes out in town, I’m unaware of it unless I run into a complaint on Reddit.
Everyone pays the same base fees, so despite tiered pricing, on a unit basis, it is far cheaper to power a sprawling four-bedroom house than a small apartment. The $46 dollars in fees spreads itself far better over 1,000kWh than 20.
I was apparently unclear about the order of operations. When I left my 1/1 apartment, I was effectively paying $3/kWh. I now pay $0. And yes, I live in my van full-time.
I paid ~$800 for 1.2kW of solar panels on my van in 2023. The 600Ah of LFP was an additional $1,700. I’ve not paid a power bill in 2.5 years. How anyone could choose to not go solar baffles me. I was paying $3/kWh through the city-owned utility. Nominally, it was somewhere around 15 cents, but after all the fees that Austin charges, despite using only 20kWh/month, my bill was $60 at minimum.
The city has now raised rates five times since I went off-grid, so a straight $60 times 30 months undersells the ROI. It would now be $75-80, and $80 times 30 months means I’ll have broken even by May.
Less than three years, and when the power goes out in town, I’m unaware of it unless I run into a complaint on Reddit.
that is an absurdly high price for energy. I pay on average between 20 and 30 euro cent per kwh
Just for context, are you living in your van 24/7? Just seems like wild numbers for anyone in a house to achieve.
Probably, the $3/kwh is definitely not the price you get for a house.
Everyone pays the same base fees, so despite tiered pricing, on a unit basis, it is far cheaper to power a sprawling four-bedroom house than a small apartment. The $46 dollars in fees spreads itself far better over 1,000kWh than 20.
I was apparently unclear about the order of operations. When I left my 1/1 apartment, I was effectively paying $3/kWh. I now pay $0. And yes, I live in my van full-time.
Ah, fairs.
Well in some countries solar is curbed. You are forced to sell it back to the grid at a low price.
The thought is good, because everyone benefits. In practice it’s bad because nobody wants to buy the panels.
They just changed this in my country so hopefully it will be more popular. Also government buildings are getting it all over now.