Tuesday, December 01, 2009

TN solar shakeout

Nashville Public Radio reports some fledgling solar businesses are already folding.

1 comment:

Jim Lindsey said...

The notion that Tennessee is a solar leader is far from the truth. In actuality, we are in the bottom ten states. We should be ashamed especially since we are having solar manufacturers locate in our "volunteer" state.

We need the 20 year financing to defray the upfront expense. This is approved in fourteen states but not ours. Solar education would let folks know that "thermal solar"(heating water) has been proven reliable and a system will produce for 30 plus years. It is less than half the cost of photovoltaic(solar electricity).

TVA has done little to share this fact with the public. They fail to mention the 1,000 units installed after President Carter's attempt to use the most sensible source of energy available. It's almost impossible to bill someone for free energy.

Hawaii offered an incentive of $ 1,000 to install a solar water heater, which 8,200 homeowners took advantage of just last year.

Those 8,200 units produce almost three times more energy than Governor Bredesen's proposed solar farm, plus nobody has to pay for that energy. The energy from the solar farm will be sold.

The independence of "point of use" power is so very appealing. It just feels good to use free, clean energy and have no concern with rate increases, or power disconnects. There is a backup element just to make sure you always have hot water.

Transmission of power will one day be obsolete. Though it will not be in my lifetime, power distributors will delay their trip down that road as long as possible.

Jim Lindsey jlindseyco@bellsouth.net