Energy conservation concepts and better energy strategies.

Carbon footprint data from almost every county in the US has been reported by UC Berkeley’s Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) and is easily accessible from their  CoolClimate Network (CCN) .  Transportation clearly dominates the carbon source data and is the first place to look for a carbon emission remedy.  Battery electric drive consumes only 1/4 the energy expended from burning dirty domestic or foreign fossil fuels for transportation.
An extensive energy remodel for an existing home is considered successful if 25% of its carbon footprint is alleviated. Emissions from a household vehicle in a two-car family are easier to eliminate with replacement of a conventionally fueled vehicle by an electric vehicle, trading in an oil-powered combustion car for one that has no emissions.  This is particularly effective in West Coast states which do not rely on coal-fired power plants.  Adopting a replacement EV accomplishes the same 25% CO2 reduction with less cost, less delay and a lot less inconvenience.

When paired with a matching rooftop solar Photovoltaic (PV) array tied to the energy grid, this renewable resource can fuel an EV at zero cost with zero emissions and zero foreign energy for over 20 years with minor maintenance.  Almost 40% of EV owners in California plug in to recharge from home solar.  California report

Incentives which offset the capital cost of PV investments are available from Federal and State resources.    Clean EV incentives can be found from the Alternative Fuels Data Center .  These investments conserve energy and environment to assure a sustainable future.  For the homeowner, recovery of your investment capital is possible due to savings gained from lower-cost fuel (electricity is typically 1/4 the per mile cost of gasoline/diesel) and rebates/tax credit incentives.  Payback for the PV investment is accelerated if savings in EV alternative fuel costs are considered.

Since no family has ever expected to break even on the cost of a household vehicle (they NEVER pay for themselves) there is no reason to require an EV to pay for itself.  Use the fuel savings to compute PV payback.