Payback period for my sustainable energy off-grid system?
The sun, the wind, tides, waves are all sources of energy. Clean renewable energy is not only good for the environment it is delivered to us right where we need it, at our doorstep! Not only does nature provide us with energy at no cost, it frees you from fluctuations on the international market of fuel prices.
Green energy means no more transport, no more carrying, no more worrying. It is odourless, produces no noise, it is relatively predictable and it can be extended when needed.
It is also a very valuable selling point to Eco aware guests who are and are looking for environmental friendly accommodations. Once installed a green energy off-grid system requires a minimal amount of maintenance.
It’s performance can be real time monitored by the owner, his staff and the installer. In case of a solar off-grid system for instance, the maintenance is limited to cleaning the solar panels and checking the level of a water tank a few times a year.
When treated well the lifetime expectancy of the solar panels exceeds 20 years and the batteries will last about 10 years. This makes that the operational cost of the system highly predictable. The payback period of a system depends on the configuration and the local tax incentives, but on average one can count on 5 to 8 years.
Meaning a return on investment of 20 to 12,5%. Beyond that you can expect an extended period of totally free energy.