By Terrill Dines, SPW Contributor
Each day, the solar industry spends more time than it should pointing to one of a growing number of reasons why solar energy isn’t taking hold in America. Our government incentives were cut too quickly. Our state’s SREC program is broken. Net-metering requirements aren’t strong enough. The list is nearly endless.
It’s not that those things wouldn’t bolster the industry, but ask your friends and family about solar energy. The problem with solar energy in America isn’t a result of the deficiencies of the incentives. It’s with the astounding lack of knowledge about a technology that can transform the lives of everyone in our nation and around the world.
Let me be provocative for a moment. Do your customers know how much of a return on their investment they would receive if you installed solar on their home or business right now? Do you know enough to even estimate the amount of money they’d save over 25 to 30 years? Do they know that solar energy works in colder climates and on cloudy days? Do they know that nearly any solar installation company will gladly provide you these numbers for free? Probably not. Most Americans can’t begin to answer these questions — and who can blame them?
We, as an industry, are still young. We’re not behemoths with seemingly unlimited budgets to pay for lobbying and well-placed television commercials. We reach out to a media who has no idea what solar energy really is, and you can’t explain the entirety of the benefits of solar energy in 140 characters.
We’re not necessarily at war with the other energy companies, either, though they often seem at war with us. People will still need oil for a long time (probably longer than our actual supply will last). No energy employee from fossil fuel plants will end up on Skid Row because of solar any time soon. Utility companies? Utilities are actually required by the state governments to purchase renewable energy, and most of them have employees that are themselves dedicated to the renewable energy sector. Banks? Banks are in the business of lending, so they would love for solar modules to be included in home appraisals. The real-estate market? Solar panels sell homes much more easily than those without. The solar industry simply has no natural predators, and for that, we’re thankful.
What we do face is a nation who just doesn’t understand us. We’re right here, and there’s not been a better time to go solar than today. The panels pay for themselves typically about halfway through their life cycle, and the rest is for homeowners to keep. There is a 30% federal tax credit for anyone who installs solar on a home or business. Many states have similar tax incentives to add to that. You can get paid to send your excess energy back to the grid. You can also sell solar credits to utility companies. And if you own a business, there’s a good chance you can depreciate the entire installation in one year. Did you know you’ll see, on average, a more steady return from “going solar” than you would on stocks and bonds (at least historically)? Most people don’t know that, and it’s your job to tell them.
So here we sit as an industry with such a powerful energy solution for our country, as a whole and for individuals. The United States is, as a nation, being quickly surpassed by other countries in terms of solar development. What countries like Germany are doing with solar energy — it’s mindboggling. But in the United States, the industry has to rely on people finding us. We try, but we just don’t have the financial size and subsequent influence (yet) to achieve the success solar energy deserves.
Yet each solar installation still engenders the exhilaration of The Cavern Club in 1961, right after a little-known band named The Beatles finished playing to a room of around100 people. Solar energy is the early rock-and-roll of our generation. We installers are the rock-and-roll stars of our time, hellbent on changing the world. As an industry, we can see what is ahead. We’ll be here waiting. And when consumers say “Oh man, we wish we’d known about this sooner,” we won’t judge. We’ll love and support you just the same. See you soon, America.
Terrill Dines is the CEO of Honeycomb Solar, a renewable energy company located in Pittsburgh. To learn more, please visit www.honeycombsolar.com or write them at info@honeycombsolar.com.
michele says
I have a 200+ year-old brick home with metal roof in Virginia, and it gets plenty of sun. I don’t care if adding solar to the roof would alter the history of the place. What’s history if you don’t learn about new things. My problem is I don’t know whom to call that would have all the information I need. There needs to be an H&R Block of solar power, with all the tax breaks and other benefits at hand. Or even a TurboTax-like computer program that took you page by page through the steps, with interactive clicking action.
Ter Dines says
Michelle, if you are in VA, call the guys at Standard Solar. They’re good people and will help you out with questions.
azaredaniel says
The Feed in Tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in Renewable Energy, the California FiT allows eligible customers generators to enter into 10- 15- 20- year contracts with their utility company to sell the electricity produced by renewable energy, and guarantees that anyone who generates electricity from R E source, whether homeowner, small business, or large utility, isable to sell that electricity. It is mandated by the State to produce 33% R E by 2020
FIT policies can be implemented to support all renewable technologies including:
Wind
Photovoltaics (PV)
Solar thermal
Geothermal
Biogas
Biomass
Fuel cells
Tidal and wave power.
So long as the payment levels are differentiated appropriately, FIT policies can increase development in a number of different technology types over a wide geographic area. At the same time, they can contribute to local job creation and increased clean energy development in a variety of different technology sectors.
FIT policies are successful around the world, notably in Europe. This suggests that they will continue to grow in importance in the United States, especially as evidence mounts about their effectiveness as framework for promoting renewable energy development and job creation.
With the worlds carbon levels at 400-410 parts per million and rising, globally emitting over 32 Gigatons of CO2 each year, causing Global Warming and life changing pollution, Renewable Energy will address these issues and start us on the road back to 350 parts per million of carbon, Thank You Bill McKibben
California law does not allow Homeowners to oversize their Renewable Energy systems
Allowing homeowners to oversize their Renewable Energy systems, is a true capitalistic tool, that will give us the potential to challenge the utility monopolies, democratize energy generation and transform millions of homes and small business into energy generators, during Sandy, Solar homes where not utilized to their full potential, because there was no disconnect and or transfer switch, to turn off incoming grid and start in home Solar power. how comforting it would be, to have mandatory transfer switches on all residential and small business renewable energy installations.
We don’t even take into account the tremendous health cost to us and our planet, when we burn oil, coal, and natural gas, which would make them more expensive than Renewable Energy.
Since 2000-2001, according to the California Energy Commission, power plants with maximum output totaling about 20,000 megawatts have become operational. An additional 3,900 megawatts are under construction and 4,700 more have been approved and are in pre-construction phases.
The new plants should boost California’s energy independence. The state currently produces about 71% of the electricity it consumes, while it imports 8% from the Pacific Northwest and 21% from the Southwest.
Natural gas was burned to make 45.3% of California’s power generated in-state in 2011. Nuclear power from San Onofre and Diablo Canyon in San Luis Obispo County accounted for 18.3%, large hydropower 18.3%, renewable 16.6% and coal 1.6%.
We need a National Feed in Tariff, for Renewable Energy, with laws that level the playing field, this petition starts with homeowners in California.
Japan, Germany, and our state of Hawaii, will pay residents between 21- 52 cents per kilowatt hour, here in California they will pay a commercial FiT in a few counties at 17 cents per kilowatt hour, No Residential FiT and they wont let us oversize our Residential Renewable Energy systems.
Want to change our Feed in Tariff? Campaign to allow Californian residents to sell electricity obtained by renewable energy for a fair pro-business market price. Will you read, sign, and share this petition ?
http://signon.org/sign/let-california-home-owners
Yamanoor Srihari says
I believe you are belittling the concerted effort of the Right and the Oil Industry to constantly put down an industry. That would be a huge risk to take – ignoring the primary reason why renewable energy is not being adopted. Remember the first cellphones, the first tablets, the first anything were never efficient and were awfully expensive, and definitely not easy to understand and use. That did not stop their adoption.
Ter Dines says
Why can’t that excess coal and gas energy be offset here by renewables in the states and sold to other nations?
Solar Works says
Nice essay, the points seem accurate to my experience as an integrator in Oregon. One thing I think is missing is the increased politicization of solar energy. Our best clients used to be conservative-leaning businessmen eyeing up the generous tax credits. Now I see more of a shift to green-minded homeowners. Has anyone else noticed this? During the W. Bush years It seemed like solar had good bi-paritsan support. Once Obama got into office it’s become a target of GOP smears. Sometimes I wish Obama would just say that he doesn’t suppot solar because it’s just a windfall tax break for wealthy business owners, then we’d see our best customers come back!
ATXSOLARMAN says
Resamn..you sound like a misinformed consumer. First, good panels typically function well and last 30+ years.
Second, there is relatively no maintanence…unless they get layered in dirt/dust…then a slight low pressure power wash is good.
Third, Equity Value is raised a little over 50% of the retail cost before rebates or Federal Credits are applied
And last but not least- the only “UGLY” thing I see when I am talking with a homeowner is the $300 a month electric bill on the table….make that go away..and those “ugly panels” as you refer to….become a work of art…to many people.
But if your just looking for a reason to say NO….I’m sure you will get there eventually.
resamn 334 says
You mentioned the reason. Nobody or very few people own a home for 25-30 years. And how much maintenance will it need over that period. Maybe complete replacement.
Plus they are ugly on a house.
Mike Emrich says
Maybe your chimney, or sewer vents are pretty but odds are you never consider how they look as they have always been there. The same can be said for solar. Beauty maybe in the eye of the beholder but the dollars saves are in my pocket and I think the look great in most installations.
As far as maintenance, I have had thermal solar for 37 years with very little maintenance required and my solar electric system is 14 years old and just keep making power with no maintenance. PV solar electric has been around long enough to prove life expediency is well past the 25 years if it is made by a quality manufacturer.
Ugly is our foreign debt-get over it!
resamn 334 says
Average home ownership is 4 to 9 years.
Panel warrantee is 20 years.
Inverters last about 11 years.
And UGLY roof tops last forever.
Ter Dines says
Is there any form of energy you find beautiful or is this a moot argument? I don’t want this to become an either/or discussion (it shouldn’t be–even if we went 100% solar, we could sell what we have in gas and coal to other nations), but does a coal plant next door or a nuclear plant up the road appeal to you any more? Or do you just like it when the “ulgy” is in someone else’s backyard and not yours?
Ter Dines says
Do you know much about how solar increases the resale value and time-on-market for a home?