LOOKING BACK ON GOING SOLAR, after a year’s experience. “It’s been nearly a full year since we had our 6.1KW solar power system installed. During that year, we experienced the peak of summer and the low point of winter. . . . So what was my total power bill for twelve months? $1,460.73. That’s my power bill for twelve months. It’s equivalent to about 3-1/2 months of peak winter power cost prior to installing the solar power system. To put it another way, our annual power cost for twelve months prior to installing solar power was $4,430. Based on those earlier rates, which are a little lower than current rates, we’re paying about 32% of what we did in the year prior to installing solar power. . . . Clearly, I’m saving money, but I also sank around $38,000 into the system. At $3,000 per year in savings (which assumes a constant rate for power cost and the same power usage pattern), that’s a 12.5 year payback.”