[jyl]

I live in rainy climate (Portland OR) and was skeptical when my friend/neighbor installed solar panels on his house. Turns out he is now a net zero utility electricity user (on a 1 year basis) and that includes charging his Leaf car. Our electricity rates are low ($0.11 kWh) but he says this has made financial sense even so. I haven't checked his #s but he is a detail-oriented penny pincher and is tracking all this in a spreadsheet . . .

I will probably install solar when I replace the roof, probably in the next several years.

One thing I wonder is, how you deal with fallen leaves on the panels? My roof is three stories above the ground and no way am I going up there to sweep / blow off leaves. My friend has a one-level house.

In 20 years, even if the panels have lost 20% of their generating ability and are producing 50% of what new panels do, so what? Worst case you sell them very cheap to someone who'd like to pay 10 cents on the dollar for 50% the power.