Hey everyone! I'm curious about how the costs stack up when it comes to using solar panels versus connecting to the grid. For those who have experience, has anyone done a thorough comparison of the costs involved in going off-grid with solar energy vs. staying on-grid? I know going off-grid can require a significant upfront investment, and you have to consider future expenses like replacing batteries and panels. From what I gather, after about 30 years, does the total cost really offset the savings? I ran some quick numbers: if I invested around €20,000 over 30 years, that's about €666 a year or roughly €55 a month, which is what I currently pay for electricity. Just looking to hear your thoughts and any calculations you might have done. Cheers!
2 Answers
I've got a system connected to the grid with backup batteries. My setup cost about €20k, plus another €10k for batteries. On average, I generate roughly 20,000 kWh a year—if I were to buy that energy, it would cost me around €0.35 per kWh. So, essentially, I'm saving about €7,000 in energy costs annually, and I expect my system to pay itself off in under 5 years. If I wanted to go completely off-grid, I'd need to double my investment, but I'm not sure how that would stack up against not having access to grid power initially. My house runs on all electric systems, so having solar really makes it more cost-effective and speeds up the payback period a bit.
Calculating the savings from going off-grid is quite tricky. If you're building a new home, hooking up to the grid can sometimes be more expensive than setting up a solar system. When you're off-grid, you continuously manage your power usage based on what's available—that can complicate how you measure actual savings. Some folks set up backup systems that rely on propane or wood to save power too. Many determine what energy they really need before installing their solar setup, which can change the savings dynamic. If you're looking to really save, the first step is definitely to reduce your overall power demand.
That doesn't answer my question directly, but I appreciate the insights!
Thanks for sharing your experience! Just curious though, don’t you have to factor in higher costs for maintenance or replacing parts like batteries over the years?