Solar Energy Update

This is the end of our second year using solar energy. If you want to read about our experience during and after our solar panels' installation and a list of our last year's bills comparing our bills to before the panels were installed, click here. 

This post is a continuation of bill comparison over the last three years.

I'll repeat in this post that we still have an electric bill, and that we also pay IGS Solar each month for the energy the panels harvest. The more sun that shines on our roof, the higher our IGS bill. This wasn't clear when we signed our agreement with Trinity Solar, who met with us and installed the panels. 

Before our panels were installed, our 2018-2019 electric bill (no IGS bill included, of course) for the year was $4,077.13 

Our 2019-2020 electric bill plus the IGS bill for the year was $3,883.84

Our 2020-2021 electric bill plus the IGS bill for the year was $3,394.27

My hope, of course, is that our electric bills keep dropping. But . . .

Our IGS bill was $1,584.3 in 2019-2020.

Our IGS bill was $1,541.71 in 2020-2021.

So this bill averages about $1,560.00 per year. This is the catch. The IGS bill isn't an electric bill. When the person on the Trinity Solar commercial that I often see states their electric bill is virtually non-existent, the viewer isn't told there will be a bill besides an electric bill arriving each month that will never be virtually non-existent. Thus, even if our electric bill becomes totally non-existent, we still have the IGS bill to pay. And will IGS's rates ever go up? 

I don't know what the expense or involvement is in owning solar panels. But what this renter's understand is, is that after 25 years the panels are ours. Will the panels and/or our roof need replacing by then? 

I don't regret getting solar panels. Our main goal was being more responsible with our family's consumption of energy. But I wish Trinity Solar was clear in their explanation of our responsibility. The deceiving commercial is unethical. One actor says he funds vacations with money he saves on his electric bill. Those can't be extravagant vacations. 

I've seen people get so excited at the thought of saving money on their utility bill each month. I got excited too. Saving significant money and going greener at the same time is most desirous. 

But going greener alone is valuable enough for me. Add some financial savings and there's even more reason to celebrate.