We’ve had the fortune of helping hundreds of homeowners evaluate solar. One of the first things we do is try to talk them out of it. Taken aback — Wait, I contacted you because I want to go solar; help me figure out how to do it — homeowners are puzzled. We walk through the primary reasons to not go solar, including how long a homeowner intends to reside in their residence (if less than five years, it probably does not make sense) and the condition of their roof (age/shading).
Net-net, if a homeowner in our community intends to live in their house for at least the next five years, solar pencils.
But, the number one reason homeowners do not go solar is not obvious: They do not have to. Solar is a choice; nobody has to do it. Paying your PG&E bill is not a choice; you do it or it’s lights out.
Building on the fact that homeowners do not have to go solar is the reality of time: Solar is not a priority, and many homeowners lack time/interest/energy to evaluate whether it makes sense.
Amplifying this, an increasing number of homeowners are tired of solar solicitations: Daily cold calls, propositions when shopping at Home Depot or Costco, direct mail offerings filling their mailboxes, radio ads airing constantly. The sun is abundant, and so too are companies selling solar.
Candid pessimism to the side, solar is booming in our community for one primary reason: economics. The average cost of electricity for homes in Yolo County is $0.24/kilowatt hour. The average amortized cost of solar-generated electricity (for Repower homeowners who own their solar systems) is $0.09/kilowatt hour.
You do not have to pay PG&E when you can profit from the sun.
