Answer :
Final answer:
The Empower Plus Loan allows customers to pay for solar panels through monthly installments. It helps spread out the cost of solar energy systems, making it more accessible. Solar panels can pay off the energy used to manufacture them over a number of years, particularly when considering their typical 30-year lifespan.
Explanation:
The Empower Plus Loan is a financing option for those looking to install solar panel systems. This loan does not offer free solar panels, provide a lump sum payment for installing them, or lease out the panels. Instead, customers who choose the Empower Plus Loan would be paying for their solar panels through fixed, predictable monthly installments over a defined loan term. This finance mechanism helps to spread the cost of solar panels over time, making it more affordable for homeowners to invest in solar energy without needing to provide a large sum of money up front. The energy that these panels produce can offset the initial energy investment, known as the Energy Returned on Energy Invested (EROEI). For a panel with an EROEI of 6:1 that operates for 30 years, it means that the panel creates six times more energy than it took to manufacture and install it over its lifetime.
For the average solar panel with such an EROEI, if the initial '1' unit of energy needs to be provided up front, this investment starts to 'pay off' or be returned in full after a certain number of years. Typically, this is calculated based on the lifespan of the panel and its annual energy production. Considering a 30-year lifespan, one would divide the energy required to produce the panel by the amount of energy it produces annually to determine how many years of solar panel output it takes to offset the initial energy investment. This is an important consideration for those investing in solar infrastructure, as it affects the overall return on investment.
Lastly, most solar installations in the U.S. are grid-tied, allowing households to utilize energy from the grid when solar production is insufficient. This approach reduces the need for costly battery storage systems, which can double the system cost and may need replacement before any electricity bill savings have recouped the investment.
