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Renewables
Rafael Herzberg
Rafael Herzberg
Expert Member
Top Contributor
 · Posted in Renewables

Is solar energy (rooftop) competitive?

Is solar energy (rooftop) competitive?

My neighbors always ask me about solar energy for their homes in the city of São Paulo (Brazil).

Here is a summary of the proposal received by one of these neighbors, whose power bill (local utility company) is R$330/month:

* Investment for a 5 kW system: R$ 25 thousand
* Financing for 7 years: R$ 600/month

It means that the monthly financing cost is much higher than the value of the bill received from the local utility company (almost twice).

My answer: the decision should focus on their best interest. Do they want to get a financial return on the investment or the satisfaction of having renewable generation on their roof?