A Real World Solar Energy Example

In the video above, the homeowner explains how he spent $42,000 in 2009 installing 20 solar panels on his Rochester, NY home. He used $12,000 of his own money, and the other $30,000 was paid for by state and federal taxpayer subsidies and tax credits. Over the life of the panels, Mr. Punton says he’ll be lucky to even get $8,000 to $10,000 back in reduced utility bills, which won’t even cover his own investment, much less cover any of the $30,000 in taxpayer subsidies and tax credits.