Are you wondering what results will be achieved? you would What if you added a home solar system to your roof? Homeowners are sharing their findings online – and the real data might surprise you!
In a recent post on r/Solar, a Reddit user named DontBuyBitcoin shared a screenshot showing that his newly installed ~11.5 kW system produced over 1,700 kWh of electricity in October. “I am quite surprised by the production of the system I got,” writes DontBuyBitcoin. “11.48 kW. Can't wait to see what's JUNE-AUGUST [2026] will look like this 😍 I wish SolarEdge would make its app prettier and provide more functionality.”
Solar energy diagram for home
Other Redditors were quick to share the enthusiasm. “Congratulations!!! Great numbers,” LegalNet4337 wrote. “We received 1.6 MWh with a 14.45 kW system. East and west facing panels in Southern California.”
These 1,700 kWh are nothing to sneeze at. Based on the current national average electricity price of about $0.17/kWh (as of August 2025), DontBuyBitcoin's admittedly extensive system represents a potential savings of about $290. In a state with higher rates like Illinois and a projected 2026 kWh rate closer to $0.18/kWh, that's about $306/month.
We expect retail electricity prices for residential customers to average 17 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) nationwide in 2025, up 4% from 2024, and then rise to approximately 18 cents/kWh in 2026. This increase continues a trend that has seen residential electricity prices rise by an average of 5% each year since the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in retail electricity prices this year comes as the cost of natural gas in the power sector rose more than 40% year-on-year in 1H25, with similar year-on-year increases forecast for the remainder of 2025. In our forecast, the average cost of natural gas for electricity generation will increase by an additional 17% in 2026.
US ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION (EIA)
Those are big numbers, but 11-15 kW rooftop solar systems are big. Actually significantly larger than the US average, ~6.6 kW in 2024 – but you don't have to have a big system to post big numbers. Excellent weather conditions and perfect placement of PV panels can also help, as another Redditor discovered.
“For the last two days we've had perfect weather here in South Florida and I've been able to get over 30 kWh from a 5 kW system with a 3.8 kW inverter. This is the highest I've seen since the PTO was introduced in September,” wrote Redditor dlewis23, who shared another SolarEdge graphic. “I’m super happy to see over 30kWh in a single day.”
30 kW/day from solar energy at home
Overall, these real-world snapshots prove that real-world homeowners are seeing meaningful, measurable differences from their home solar systems, whether it's a modest 5kW system or a hefty 10+ kW system. And with retail electricity prices expected to continue rising throughout the decade, every kilowatt counts.
Electrek's take
When we asked our question “Why did you choose solar energy?” According to a survey in September, only 32.6% of respondents chose “cutting my monthly electricity bills” as their main motivation for switching to solar energy. This result, in my opinion, proved that Electrics Readers are simply better people than most and seem willing to spend a little more to do something positive for their environment and community.
Was it not a lesser thinker than Albert Einstein who said: “Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe” (Google). And with tariffs increasing by 5% every year from now until the AI and data center bubbles burst, the impact of energy tariffs on all of our wallets could be enough to bring “lowering my monthly electricity bills” back to the top.
If this happens: be smart, get multiple offers, and understand the difference between buying and leasing your PV system (especially if you plan to sell your home in the foreseeable future).
SOURCES: Reddit, EIA; Featured image via Tesla.
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