Best investment I ever made!

User: dvanderburgh8@gmail.com

Vendor: Drive Green - Green Energy Consumers Alliance

Action: 8 - Install rooftop solar

We went with rooftop solar back in 2012 during the solarize program that was offered that year. It was in the years of the sluggish stock market following the crash of 2008 and part of my rationale for taking the plunge was because I figured there had to be better use for my money. At the time, they projected my breakeven point would be 6.5 years out. But between the performance of my system and the SREC checks, we actually hit breakeven at 4 years! And now, 8.5 years after inception, I have realized a 250% return on my investment! It is routinely 6-7 months a year that I effectively have a zero-dollar electric bill. My only complaint is not a function of the system itself, but that the pitch of my roof is such that, after a heavy winter snowfall, the snow doesn't slough off as quickly as some of the neighbor's systems (who followed our lead some years later and have steeper pitches). Otherwise, my performance would be even better! I don't know what the pricing schemes are these days - and how long the SREC program will last. So I can't guarantee you'll have the same investment experience we did. But even if it's not about the investment return, the satisfaction knowing that we're making a difference would make me do it all over again in a heartbeat! It's quite fun to go out on a bright sunny day and watch the electric meter go in reverse!