Thirsty,
I looked hard at putting solar panels on my 4000 SF Ohio Home (the one that is immune from the rampaging wildfires that seem to plague you). The reality is that they still are not efficient enough. The presentation was very slick. They had the roof of my home modeled and showed where the panels would be placed, and how much energy they would produce. I was very tempted. Until they got to the financial benefits part. The projections they showed were ridiculous. They show 3 curves, What you pay now, what you will pay in electric costs if you do nothing (meaning stay on the grid), and what you will pay with the panels. The assumptions of the future energy costs looked ridiculous to me. They were pressuring me to sign right then and there. I asked for the materials so I could do my diligence which they gave me. Armed with their projections I looked at what the Ohio Utility Commission showed the energy rates were at over the past 40 years. The growth over 40 years was about 1/10 of the ridiculous growth rate that they predicted.
So I called them on it at the next sit down along with some of the other inaccuracies in their business case. The reality is they couldn't defend their numbers. I further asked for local people that had their systems installed that I could talk to both about the installation experience as well as did the savings they promised materialize? I'm still waiting for that analysis and it's been over a year.
I like the idea of solar, that is, you pay for infrastructure and become your own energy generator either storing the power in a battery bank or selling it back to the grid. The reality is that it's an upside down proposition here in North East Ohio. As near as I could calculate the whole thing would have cost me $200 more a month to have the system installed. They basically sell you the system, offset it with federal tax credits and finance the rest over 30 years which is the life of the panels. So instead of paying the energy generators you pay the finance company. If that cost was lower than what I reasonably expected to pay, I would have done it. It isn't even close when armed with real data. Especially considering that panel efficiency degrades 3% a year. For some areas where it is constantly sunny, it makes great sense. If I lived in TX or AZ or anywhere in the south, I'd have them in a heartbeat. But here in Ohio, it just doesn't work. Someday it might if they can make the panels less expensive, their efficiency increased or the government pays to install them. Until then, I will continue to buy power from the grid and heat my home with natural gas, pretty much like everyone else.
Buyer Beware!