Thanks for the information, SB. Perhaps he leases his solar panels, and that's what's costing the money. The way it was explained to us, you install the solar panels, they send the energy to your meter, and the electric company then only charges you for what you don't generate yourself.
My husband and I have a solar panel company coming over to give us a quote this Saturday. I doubt that it's feasible for us, but it's worth looking into. There are grants that can pay up to 50% of the cost, but the out of pocket is still over $10,000, and you really need the right pitch on the southern exposure portion of your roof, and no trees shading it, so that you can produce enough in the summer to sustain you throughout the short winter days. And it will take years and years and years for it to pay for itself. I wish that the technology was more affordable.
I suspect over years, it will become more affordable. Our kids may see the day when most homes, vehicles, etc. will have solar powered components. While the technology has existed for quite a while, I think we've been slow in developing practical applications for it.
Good luck on the estimate tomorrow.
