According to a recent article in The Economist, rooftop solar remains marginal in America. Blame a patchwork of regulation, utilities and an immature business model. Here is an excerpt of the article:
Americans love the concept of rooftop solar, according to opinion polls. Well they might. Large solar farms may be the most cost-efficient way to harvest energy from the sun, but the case for homeowners to put panels on their roofs looks compelling. Panels do not belch carbon dioxide. Electricity is generated where it is consumed, easing the strain on transmission lines and power plants. President Donald Trump may have slapped tariffs on imported solar panels earlier this year, but the average price of a residential solar-power system is less than half its level in 2010.
This combination of greenness and cheapness has allure. Paul McMaster, a homeowner in Florida, has leased solar panels from a company called Sunrun since the summer. In August Mr McMaster’s electricity bill was about $100. By October it was $15. In 2017 rooftop solar installations in America, measured by gigawatts of capacity, were nearly ten times what they were in 2010.
I agree with the numbers presented and with all the positivity related to solar.
The case for homeowners to put panels on their roofs looks compelling. Panels do not belch carbon dioxide. Electricity is generated where it is consumed, easing the strain on transmission lines and power plants.
I can add some more advantages of solar: the jobs can’t be outsourced. The industry provides for an entire supply chain and a very diverse workforce ranging from low skilled labor needs for the installation to higher skilled labor for electrical installations, to project managers and engineers to design these systems. The industry also needs a range of financial models that are being developed right now. Another advantage of solar is that keeping more money in people’s pockets – for homeowners and for business owners – and these savings are untaxed. Solar has inherently few moving parts and thus a low maintenance cost.
Source: https://www.economist.com/business/2018/12/22/rooftop-solar-remains-marginal-in-america
Ipsun Solar is committed to saving customers money through its membership in Amicus Solar Cooperative and reducing the impacts of tariffs. Read more about going solar by checking out our Guide to Go Solar and especially our resources for businesses to go solar.
