Quote Originally Posted by Gman View Post
Not always. It depends on what "long run" actually means. Like my 83 year old father mentioned to me, "When they're trying to sell me on why 45-year shingles are worth the extra cost over 30-year shingles, I'll never realize that value."

Photovoltaic cells degrade over time, so you have to also factor that in.
News Release: New Solar PV Tool Accurately Calculates Degradation Rates, Saving Money and Guiding Business Decisions
The panels these days produce close to their rate for much longer. In fact, the Tesla ones are guaranteed to produce 90% at 10 years & 80% of their rated energy 25 years from the day they're installed or they'll replace them under warranty. That's pretty damn good.