By this I mean subsidize for citizens. What would the effect of making funds available to homeowners to add solar power to their houses have.
It would reduce emissions.
It would increase power production.
It would spur new innovations in technology.
It would create new business and jobs required to meet demand in the marketplace.
This money would not have to be handouts, but rather could take the form of government insured loans and tax incentives. The tax incentives and yearly energy cost savings would help the average family repay the loans.
Thoughts?
Ed J: I am familiar with what is in the stimulus bill and it is very limited in this area and nowhere near the type of investment I am talking about. It simply provides tax break for those who install solar appliances.
how_would_I_know: the technology is improving all the time in this area. No one says that solar is the complete answer. Massive investment in solar based on sales would lead to improvements in collection effeciency though. As for wind power. This is not a realistic idea for the average home based on the size and noise factors involved.
bkc99xx: You don’t get it. You are going to subsidize this research regardless. Obama is planning a massive expansion of green energy programs in his new budget, but rather than providing you with an avenue to help defer costs (i.e. home generated solar which can be returned to the grid and must be bought from the producer at premium kiowatt per hour rate) his plan will dramatically increase your monthly costs for energy with no plan for offset in cost.
bkc99xx: I said subsidies, but this is not really the correct word except in the case of tax breaks. The money would actually be in the form of secured loans. Yes I do know how much the cost of the system installation would be in my case. Roughly 15000 dollars and I have estimated that it would take roughly 15 years for the system to begin to produce a surplus financially. However this estimate is based on current kilowatt per hour rates in my area. The one thing I am absolutely sure of is that this cost will increase over the lifetime of the system making it more cost effective with time even when you factor in proposed maintenance costs.
Interesting answers which I enjoyed reading. I am going to send this question to a vote. Thanks to all for taking the time.
