Sure, that can be taken into consideration. But the same can be said for any home renovation. If you redo your kitchen and that costs $20k, will you be there long enough to pay that off? Maybe, maybe not, but it also helps with resale value, just like solar panels. If/when I sell my house, part of the selling points is "free electricity!", which should add to the value, and theoretically, add to what I can charge for it.