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# Solar Panel Pros and Cons: Are They Worth Investing in for Your Home?

Solar panels can make a big difference in your energy bill and offer a sustainable energy option, but there are downsides to consider as well. Explore the pros and cons of solar panels to find out if they're a good choice for your home energy needs.

A little girl stands next to a solar panel, tracing her finger on it&apos;s surface

Solar panels have a lot of benefits, but there are downsides too.
Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images

Installing solar panels on your home is easier and cheaper now than it's ever been, so you might be wondering whether or not it's a good choice for your home. While there are the obvious benefits of saving on energy costs and the incentives you get toward the cost of lowering your contribution to the climate crisis, there are still a few potential drawbacks to take into account.

Going solar is a major decision that requires research and due diligence. To get you started, we've compiled a breakdown of key pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.

## Are solar panels worth it?

That depends on your circumstances.

Can solar panels save you money?

Interested in understanding the impact solar can have on your home? Enter some basic information below, and we’ll instantly provide a free estimate of your energy savings.

"It depends on what is motivating the household to make the decision to [install] solar," Becca Jones-Albertus, director of the US Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, told CNET.

If you're looking to be 100% energy independent or live off the grid, solar could be a good way to reach those goals. If your state has robust net metering or you have high energy costs, your solar panels could start saving you money in (relatively) short order. If you aren't planning on moving for many years or have reason to believe the short-term energy savings and the boost to your home's value will recoup your investment, solar could pay off.

Watch this: How to Approach Home Batteries if the New 30% Tax Credit Has Your Attention

09:49

If you don't have high energy costs or your state makes it harder to go solar, it might not be worth it financially. Even after weighing all the pros and cons, the decision to go solar is a highly personal one. Examine how your situation fits with solar panels before moving ahead and compare quotes from multiple solar companies and installers before making a decision.

## Solar panel pros

Solar panels use photovoltaic cells to harness radiation from the sun and convert it into electricity. They're an emissions-free energy source that reduces your carbon footprint. But the environmental benefit is just one of many.



###### Considering Solar Panels?

Our email course will walk you through how to go solar

### Cheaper electric bill

By going solar, residential energy consumers can see significant savings in their home energy bills. Electricity prices were up 5.9% for the 12-month period ending in May, according to the Consumer Price Index. Depending on its size and your energy needs, a solar panel system can reduce or eliminate your electric bill.

### Energy independence

Residential solar panels allow you to pull less energy from the grid. With the addition of solar batteries, solar panels could make your home self-reliant and independent from the electric grid. Solar batteries store energy created during sunny hours, allowing it to be used at night or on cloudy days. Choosing between an off-grid or grid-tied system will depend on your personal energy goals.



###### Considering Solar Panels?

Our email course will walk you through how to go solar

A solar system with a battery can help you power your home during an outage or blackout. Overall, solar panels add stability and flexibility to the electricity you get from the grid.

### Cleaner energy source

By installing solar panels on your home, you're increasing the amount of clean, carbon-free energy generation available. (Manufacturing solar panels typically produces some greenhouse gas emissions, but far fewer over their lifetime than fossil fuel alternatives, like coal.) The electric power sector contributes up to 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions nationwide, according to the EPA. Using renewable energy helps reduce the use of fossil fuels and their harmful emissions.

### Improved home value

Solar panels can add to your home's value.
Bernhard Lang/Getty Images

### Decreasing solar panel cost

Solar panel cost and efficiency has improved greatly over the last 10 years. As solar panel technology improves, so does its return on investment and the savings you'll see over time. Federal solar incentives coupled with state-level incentives (if available) can help make a solar panel system more affordable and accessible.

### 30% federal tax credit available to all

In 2022, when Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, it boosted the solar investment tax credit to 30% and extended it through 2032. (It phases out by 2035.) This federal residential clean energy credit covers 30% of the total installed cost of a solar panel system.

### Net metering and a faster payback period

Another alluring feature is how you can speed up your payback period -- the time it takes to earn back your initial investment -- through net metering. Net metering allows you to sell your excess energy back to your utility company. Not every state has net metering, so it's important to check with your utility provider.

## Solar panel cons

When it comes to any major purchase there are always downsides -- the biggest one being cost.

### Solar panels are expensive

The cost of a residential solar system will vary by size, installer and location, but the national median is $3.80 per watt, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. For the median size of 7 kilowatts, that's a total installed price of $26,600.

Over the past decade, the cost of solar panels has decreased significantly and the federal tax credit offsets an additional 30%. Some states offer additional incentives and rebates, but a solar purchase is still unaffordable and unattainable for many. Many solar companies or installers offer financing, but that usually means paying interest and additional fees.

### The payback period can be long

Understanding how long it takes for solar panels to pay for themselves is a major factor in the purchase decision. The average payback period in the US is six to 12 years, but depending on your energy costs, electricity usage and available incentives, that period could be longer, Jamie Haenggi, president of ADT Solar, told CNET.

You should calculate your solar payback period before buying, especially if you're going solar for the long-term savings. If it takes you seven years to recoup your investment, and you move or sell your home before that, then you might be taking a loss.

### Not everyone has the right conditions

Available sunlight, space constraints and installation hurdles can make a solar system more expensive. Trimming trees and repairing your roof, if necessary, will add expense to the project. The angle, pitch and direction of your roof will affect the productivity and efficiency of your solar panels. If you have a well-shaded roof or one that only points north, your house may not be a good fit.

### Potential to raise property taxes

Property taxes are based on assessed values of property. Adding a solar panel system to your home will increase the appraised value. Typically, the higher the home's value, the more you will pay in property taxes. Some states have policies exempting homes with solar panels from paying the additional property tax.

### Changes to your homeowners insurance policy

Some homeowners policies cover solar panels, some do not. It's best to check with your insurance provider or shop for a new one that will cover a new solar installation. Insurance policy premiums could increase to account for solar panel coverage.

### Accessibility and affordability depend on where you live

While everyone can benefit from the 30% federal tax credit, not all states offer or enforce additional incentives. Parts of Kansas, for example, aren't covered by the state's net metering law.

"It's possible you won't be able to net meter a system currently," or may be charged an additional interconnection fee, Dorothy Barnett, executive director of the Climate + Energy Project, told CNET, referring to Kansas.

Net metering may not be available, depending where you live.
Jonathan Sloane/Getty Images

Geographic location also has an impact on your solar panel's efficiency. For example, Alaska residents see fewer sunny days per year compared to Florida, where sunny days are above the national average.

### Solar storage is an additional expense

If you want to store energy from your solar panel system so you can power your home at night, solar batteries are a must. But they're not cheap. In fact, the addition of solar batteries could double the total cost of a solar system.

### Solar panels have an environmental impact

The manufacturing of the components that make up a solar panel system has an impact on the environment making the "energy payback" timeline a factor to consider. However, when it comes to greenhouse gases, solar panels pay for themselves within one to four years of use, according to a report by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

### Solar panels are not easily transferable

Solar panels typically stay with the house if you sell it. If you plan to move or sell your home before your payback period is up, you may never actually see a return on your investment, though solar panels have been shown to increase home values.

## When is going solar worth it?

Just like investments accruing interest over the years, solar panels on your property extract value over time. Because they create something valuable -- electricity -- each time the sun rises in the sky, which it does pretty reliably, it's relatively easy to estimate their worth.

While it depends on local energy prices, available sunlight and your own energy use, a general rule of thumb is that most solar energy systems will pay for themselves after around a decade of use, typically giving you another decade or two to enjoy the benefit of free energy, though you should calculate your own potential payback period for yourself.

Still, many may balk at the cost of solar installation and wonder about the ideal timing for going solar.

"Now is the best time," said John Burke, director of the Maine Solar Energy Association.

## Do solar panels increase your home's value?

Gilbert Michaud, a professor at Loyola University Chicago, pointed out that many in younger generations are unlikely to stay in a residence long enough to see the long-term savings and value from a solar energy system. He also said that many people overlook the fact that the cost of a solar system can also be recouped when a home sells.

"There's been a lot of academic studies that have shown how it increases your property values," Michaud said. "You can actually sell your house for ten-, twenty-, thirty-thousand dollars more."

## What is the cost of solar panels?

Burke said he's watched the price of mass-produced solar panels drop precipitously over his career.

A solar panel system costs a pretty penny, but can save that much and more over its lifetime.
Mihail Minea/500px/Getty Images

"It used to be 70 cents a watt years ago and now it's as low as 30 cents a watt," he said.

Installation cost is dependent on a number of factors besides the basic cost of solar modules. The rising price of things like labor, administrative costs, wiring and other components actually drove the average price of solar installations up between 2022 and 2023, although there's some indication prices are already coming down again.

Still, there can be a lot of variation in pricing from market to market, with different states offering different incentives and labor and permitting costs.

## How much do solar panels cost in my state?

Here's the average total cash price, cost per watt and system size for a solar panel system in your state, according to data from FindEnergy.com. These prices don't factor in tax credits or state incentives. Certain states don't have any FindEnergy solar data and are grayed out on the map.

## How much can you save with solar panels?

The basic formula to determine overall solar savings over time requires first figuring out your total upfront costs for installation, less all tax credits, rebates, grants and other incentives received. Then add in any financing costs like loan fees and interest.

Next calculate how much your solar system reduces your energy bills. If your panels zero out your utility bill and you were previously paying a hundred dollars a month for electricity, you're banking $1,200 in annual savings. (It's common for solar to offset less than 100% of your electricity bill.)

Divide your net system cost by your annual utility bill savings to get your total payback period in years. After that point, your annual bill savings is just extra money in your bank account.

## What about tax credits for solar panels?

Another reason now is a good time to go solar, as Burke said, is that the federal government is still offering a 30 percent tax credit on renewable energy systems. This is in addition to a number of other incentives from state and local governments, and even from utilities and credit unions.

A good place to track and check the incentives that might be available to you is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency maintained by the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center. You should confirm for yourself that the incentives listed there are still in effect.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is going solar financially beneficial?

Over the long term, the answer is usually yes. Solar panel systems come with significant upfront costs that can be financed and take time to recoup, but typically return years of electric bill savings and increased home value.

### How long do solar panels last?

Most solar panels are warrantied for at least 25 years and many operate for several decades reliably with minimal loss of efficiency.

### Do solar panels provide a tax benefit?

As of 2023, a federal tax credit of 30 percent is in place for new installations. States may offer other tax benefits.

### Can a house run purely on solar?

Yes, especially when paired with a battery bank.

### How many solar panels do I need?

You can calculate how many panels you need by looking at your energy bill over time and determining how much you hope to save or how long you want to take to pay them off. If you're going totally off-grid, it's helpful to calculate how much energy your household may require during peak usage and size a system accordingly.

Sean Jackson contributed to this article.

## Solar Installer Guides

Best Solar Products and Companies

Solar Installers by State

Solar Installers & Storage

Solar Resources and Guides

## Other Energy Saving Guides

Other Types of Energy

Living Off the Grid Series

Article updated on September 10, 2024 at 9:00 AM PDT

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Written by

Katie Collins,

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Katie CollinsManaging Editor

Katie Collins is a managing editor for CNET overseeing coverage for home energy, utilities, renewable energy, solar energy, climate issues, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, EV charging infrastructure, energy deregulation, home electrification, personal finance, mortgages, home equity, banking, savings, credit building, credit cards, taxes, identity theft, retirement, and investing.

Katie recently visited CNET's Testing Lab in Louisville, KY to oversee its testing of rooftop solar panels, portable solar panels, portable power stations, EV chargers, generators, and home battery solutions.

Prior to CNET, Katie's editorial experience was under TIME's former personal finance brand, NextAdvisor, as well as The Simple Dollar, Reviews.com, Interest.com and CreditCards.com.

Katie holds a bachelor's degree deviant behavior and social control from CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice and spent a decade working with at-risk teenagers and facilitating family crisis intervention and anger management groups. Katie took her counseling skills and passion for helping people into service journalism. Her goal is to help people make important decisions and reach their personal life goals. Katie's free time is spent with her two human children and two fur children.

You can reach me at kcollins@cnet.com

ExpertiseEnergy, Solar Power, Renewable Energy, Climate Issues, Electric Vehicles, Plug-in Hybrids, EV Charging Infrastructure, Home Electrification, Deregulated Energy, Personal Finance, Mortgages, Home Equity, Housing Market, Loans, Banking, Taxes, Credit Cards,



Eric MackContributing Editor

Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.

ExpertiseSolar, solar storage, space, science, climate change, deregulated energy, DIY solar panels, DIY off-grid life projects, and CNET's "Living off the Grid" seriesCredentials

- Finalist for the Nesta Tipping Point prize and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

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