WANT TO GO GREEN AND SOLAR? THIS'LL PUT A CHILL ON YOU!

I've always wanted to have solar panels for my electricity but couldn't afford it. But now that my house is paid off I'm quite serious about it. I don't want to live off-grid, just reduce my electric bill and have greener electricity. I had a guy out to check things over and send his site-inspection notes to the solar company in the big city nearby. In order to get the federal incentive I have to cut down one tree and everything else is good, except the cost!! I was told with the rebates and such the panels would pay themselves off in about 14 years. No, that is only if I can claim my house as a small business (not happening) for extra rebates. I'm expecting to pay a good deal of money but the proposal came and blew me away! To put 16 panels on my house (the most that fit on the south side of the roof without messing with the chimney, vents and pipes)it would cost $26,000!! With the federal rebate it would still be just nearly $19,000 out of my pocket. I figured out that would reduce my electric bill about $491 a year - taking THIRTY EIGHT years to pay for themselves! I'll be 82 years old by then! In order to get the federal rebate I can't put them up there myself but if I do it myself, with a handymans help, could it be made more affordable?? My big problem then would be finding someone that knows what they are doing to help me, especially putting in the inverter and hooking everything up. I asked the company to rerun the numbers for putting in just 6 or 10 panels to start with but haven't gotten a reply yet. I really want solar electricity but it's got to be made more affordable. Proposal:Installation of a 3.76kW Photovoltaic Array-provide and install a 3.76kW photovoltaic (PV)energy system to generate electric power on the south-facing roof at (my house). The PV array will consist of (16)Yingli 235-watt modules for a system rating of 3.76 kilowatts and will be flush-mounted on Unirac mounting hardware and PV Quickmount roof flashings. (The company) will provide and install (16) enphase micro-inverters to act as the control unit for the system and convert DC electricity from the PV array to AC electricity for the house. The company will install the wiring from the PV array to theinverters, install the inverters, and make the electrical interconnection at the main load distribution panel. The company willinstall a web-based enphase data monitoring system that will display the production of the PV Array. A solar production meter will be supplied by the utility. This proposal includes all permits, safety devices, and labeling needed to complete the system installation. We will assist you in applying for your contract with the utility.Environmental Impact - the company expects this solar array to produce a yearly average of about 4,500 kilowatt-hours ofelectricity. Producing 4,500kWh of electricity annually from coal emits about 8,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. Preventing this much CO2 from being released to the atmosphere is equivalent to adding 455 trees to our forests. Over a 30-year span, this system will offset 240,000 pounds or 120 tons of carbon dioxide.Project SummaryTotal installed cost $26,875.00Estimated federal tax credit $ 8,062.50Estimated cost after incentives $18,812.50