Global Warming advocates, step inside...

[CorvallisBMW]

Here in Oregon there are some solar co-ops that have taken off like wildfire. Basically a group of neighbors (homeowners) get together and decide they all want solar panels on their houses. An outside contractor will then install their solar panels for little or no cost, while at the same time collecting all of the local/state/fed tax credits and incentives. The homeowners then get free or nearly free electricity, and any extra that is produced beyond their demand is sold back in to the grid with the profits being collected by the original contractor.

Homeowners save $ to spend on other things, contractor makes $ and creates jobs, solar manufacturers make $ and create jobs (we have a massive panel fab plant just outside of town called Solarworld with hundreds of hi-tech and advanced mfg jobs) and pollution is reduced. It's a winning situation for everyone.

[z31maniac]

^Interesting, I haven't heard of anything like that around these parts, I'll have to do some research into it.

[Evan12]

Al gore started this bullshit....

[CorvallisBMW]

Al gore started this bullshit....

Climate change started long before Al Gore...

[ck_taft325is]

Climate change started long before Al Gore...

True.

I've seen those Co-Op solar panel businesses and worked with a guy who used to wire them up for a Company. He said the glitch in the whole thing is that every year there's maintenance. Cool, no biggy. Every car needs an oil change, right? But, every 3 years there's a massive amount of issues with the transformers themselves. Usually resulting in replacement. No matter how good that Co-Op started off as, he said a third of the communities that went this route ended up removing them after ~7 years just due to the primary cost. While they had to pay little or nothing in up front installation cost, the cost over time killed off the dreamy "we're saving the planet" feeling.

As someone else said, houses are not designed to just throw these on top of. It just doesn't work that way. Something I learned being a general contractor to being an apprentice electrician. There's shit the other trades do that directly conflict with the other trades ends or goal. I'd ALWAYS hire a general to then sub contract an eletrician on my own house given I was unable to do the work myself. Applying that to Solar Panel installation on one's roof? Scary thought.

[mrsleeve]

Here in Oregon there are some solar co-ops that have taken off like wildfire. Basically a group of neighbors (homeowners) get together and decide they all want solar panels on their houses. An outside contractor will then install their solar panels for little or no cost, while at the same time collecting all of the local/state/fed tax credits and incentives. The homeowners then get free or nearly free electricity, and any extra that is produced beyond their demand is sold back in to the grid with the profits being collected by the original contractor.

Homeowners save $ to spend on other things, contractor makes $ and creates jobs, solar manufacturers make $ and create jobs (we have a massive panel fab plant just outside of town called Solarworld with hundreds of hi-tech and advanced mfg jobs) and pollution is reduced. It's a winning situation for everyone.

So what you are saying is that my TAX dollars are subsidizing those home owners and contrator are getting free shit and the contrator is making money thanks to that.

You see you have just proven my point yet again. With out GOVT involvement and subsidization of green energy NO ONE would do it, because there is no cost benefit to it when compared to conventional power generation.


YHEEEEAAAAA for supper expensive green energy

[CorvallisBMW]

God forbid your tax dollars go to something good & beneficial like reducing pollution and creating jobs

[mrsleeve]

God forbid your tax dollars go to something good & beneficial like reducing pollution and creating jobs

Oh you mean like windmills, cash for clunkers, buy a home get cash from the govt, Bail outs, Stimulus shovel ready projects.................. Should I continue? All things the govt is supposed to have absolutely NOTHING TO DO WITH, IN THE 1ST PLACE

Yes with out govt intervention to subsidize the green shit (that costs you and me money and we see little to NO benefit from it) it would not be economical viable means of power production

[joshh]

http://oregonstate.edu/urm/ncs/archives/2011/jan/oceanic-%E2%80%9Cgarbage-patch%E2%80%9D-not-nearly-big-portrayed-media

[joshh]

Oh you mean like windmills, cash for clunkers, buy a home get cash from the govt, Bail outs, Stimulus shovel ready projects.................. Should I continue? All things the govt is supposed to have absolutely NOTHING TO DO WITH, IN THE 1ST PLACE

Yes with out govt intervention to subsidize the green shit (that costs you and me money and we see little to NO benefit from it) it would not be economical viable means of power production

This!

[gwb72tii]

God forbid your tax dollars go to something good & beneficial like reducing pollution and creating jobs

god forbid the fuckall gov't lets me keep more of my own money

[Vedubin01]

the tax credit changes every year. In 2010 the max credit on installing solar panels was $1500.00. For the year 2011 the max credit for purchasing solar panels is only $500. 2012 and so on $ZERO!

[mrsleeve]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Ok, But there should not be a tax credit in the 1st place, why do my tax monies (that I work my ass off for) have to go to support shit like that??????

[Vedubin01]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Ok, But there should not be a tax credit in the 1st place, why do my tax monies (that I work my ass off for) have to go to support shit like that??????

No argue, I agree, I was just saying

[mrsleeve]

No argue, I agree, I was just saying

Oh I know, was putting it out there for you know who ;)