My local utility company (which has been bought 3 times in last 20 years) is now owned by PPL. Their have increase the monthly service charge for electricity (actually now charged daily) well over 250% in the last 12 years.
$5.00 - July 2008
$10.75 - Nov 2015
$12.25 - Sept 2017
$13.69 - June 2019 (.45 per day x 365 / 12)
They requested higher but were turned down PSC.
The point is by increasing the service charge vs increasing what they charge per kWh it decreases the value of a home PV system.
LG&E and others lobbied the KY State Legislature to change our net metering law. As a result I had a PV system installed in Dec last year to make sure that I would qualify. New regs have not been approved but LG&E wants to buy my excess at wholesale and sell it back to me at retail, obviously increasing the payback time. Still it probably will take a long time to pay off but I justified it based on:
Solar PV vs home improvement - you don't get dollar for dollar for any home improvement. For instance a kitchen redo, but part of the value is your enjoyment of the new kitchen. It might also help sell a house.
To some degree (maybe about 10%) it will decrease AC usage as it will shield the roof from the sun.
Solar is a long term investment. Warranty is the key - mine is 80% of rated output after 25 years.
Your are locking in your cost of electricity for the life of the panels - so if you buy quality you could be talking in excess of 40 or 50 years. Not a good deal if nat gas goes down but a good deal if a bunch of fracking companies go Chapter like the biggest one in the Bakken field just did and the price of nat gas goes up.
At any rate, it's a done deal but I absolutely enjoy the pennies as they add up when the sun is shinning