Solar Panels Year One: Production Data and Lessons Learned

One year ago I installed a 7.2kW solar array on my south-facing roof. I tracked every kilowatt-hour produced and consumed. Here is the complete first-year report with actual numbers from my system.

System Specs

18 panels, 400W each (REC Alpha), Enphase IQ8+ microinverters, 45-degree roof pitch facing due south. No battery storage yet – net metering only. Total installed cost: $18,400 after federal tax credit.

Production Numbers

Year one total production: 8,247 kWh. Best month: July at 982 kWh. Worst month: December at 312 kWh. Annual consumption: 11,400 kWh. Net grid usage: 3,153 kWh. That is a 72% reduction in grid electricity.

Financial Reality

Previous annual electricity cost: $2,052. Current annual cost after solar: $567 (winter grid purchases minus summer credits). Annual savings: $1,485. Simple payback period: 12.4 years. With the current rate increase trend of 6% per year, effective payback drops to about 9 years.

What I Would Do Differently

I would add a battery from day one. Net metering rates are dropping and time-of-use pricing makes self-consumption far more valuable than export. I am adding a Tesla Powerwall this spring to capture that arbitrage opportunity. The system has been completely maintenance-free – not even a panel cleaning needed thanks to the steep roof angle.