(quoted from post at 09:03:53 07/16/18)
(quoted from post at 12:13:39 07/15/18)
buickanddeere & Bret4207, you guys again? I remember you guys were spouting this same clap trap last time this topic came up. What was it like a year and a half a go? Did either one of you read my first reply on this thread? or was it too long? or is it you have poor reading comprehension? So I ask you: how many solar panels are you running? how many kilowatts? and how long have you had them? Yeah, I didn't think so.
I'd like to know where they're paying 40.5 cents a Kw, I'd set up panels in a hurry there, not for the energy but for investment income. Like Double07 points out it depends on where you live. Last time we had this chat I spent some time researching on the internet, it got complicated fast what with all the amortization costs, fixed costs, variable cost, just about every state has a public utility commission and they all go by different anagrams. So I'm not going to go through that again just to argue with obstinacy. But I'll mention some of the things I learned back then. First off, about half the states do not have net metering, and the trend is for states that have it is to drop it. In states that do have it there are only a handful that require utilities to buy power from IPPs (independent power producers) at retail rates. The rest only have to pay the wholesale rates. The wholesale rate around here is 3-5 cents per Kw. It's this rate that the big utilities charge each other when they "share" power. Here in Michigan the power companies have agreements with neighboring companies so that if there is a dearth or surpluses they can trade with each other and keep the grid running smoothly. Nobody is sending Michigan free energy. I don't know where on earth you came up with your billion dollar assertion, I have an idea but I'm trying to keep this as civil as possible. So if you're grid tied in a state that doesn't have net metering your excess power is absorbed by the power company for FREE. Free has got to be the very definition of cheapest! Oh and if you're getting it for free you're not really buying it, are you? More like stealing it if you ask me.
So who's forcing who to buy what? Generally a state or a municipality will enact an ordinance requireing utilities to generate a small portion of their total production from green friendly sources. Usually 10-20%, and have sliding scales to make the transition smoother. These ordinances are pretty weak as they often have no penalties or the penalties aren't enforced. Time lines get moved back, pecentages get lowered, etc. Now I said it before and I'll say it again: power companies are not against green energy per se, they're against you producing your own energy!
Who's subsidizing whom? With the new and unwarranted tarrifs anyone buying panels today is subsidizing an inefficient manufacturing sector. Those tarrifs wipe out any tax breaks/subsidies from the Federal government. Nobody knows how long those tarrifs will be in place but we know the federal tax incentives run out in another couple of years. Lots of folks on this forum like to talk about free markets, market forces, capitalism, etc. where's the outrage over this government meddling? 99% of those who are on the grid sans panels are subsidizing those with panels? Really? I guess the good news is that that number is going down all the time and it's a trend that's going to continue -get used to it! So if I switch to soy milk instead of cow's milk then by your convuluted logic I drove the price of cow milk up? Wouldn't it drive prices down? More milk in the pipe line and all. So it's the same with energy, the power that is fed into the grid by IPPs lowers the demand on the utility. They burn less of what ever it is they burn, saving costs. If they don't pass that savings on to you then maybe you sould focus your ire in that direction. Or talk to your public utilities commission or better yet run for a seat on it. A final thought on who is subsidizing what: have you ever considered it from our side of things, basically we're subsidizing YOUR clean air! You're welcome!
Like I said in my first reply to this thread, it's a free country, nobody is forcing you to go solar, if your neighbor does he's not costing you a damned dime! So please stop spreading your uninformed nonsense.
Have a good day all!
JD
Exactly which states are using anagrams for their public services commissions rate standards? Did you by chance mean algorithms?
At any rate, quite a thesis you wrote there. I suppose one wants to defend their position, even if it means making a few leaps in the process. My point is, was and remains that no one else should have to subsidize another individuals decision to play with solar. If you want it, great! Then buy it yourself and go from there. Net metering itself is fine as long as the utility is only paying or reimbursing the individual at the same cost it costs the utility to produce the power. Otherwise it's just an additional cost passed on to the other rate payers and I can't for the life of me see how that can possibly be viewed as fair or "right".
I'm not sure where you got anything about 40 cents KwH or billions of dollars in my posts, but I never said anything like that. The fact is, and it is a fact, that in my state if you want to you can legally join a consortium that buys "solar" power at a low cost, 6 cents KwH is the price quoted to us, and the utility is forced to pay over 12 by law. This is in NY. research it if you like. It's wrong IMO.
As far as guarantees and life expectancy of solar panels, that's salesmanship. You have no more guarantee of "Bobs Solar Panel Co." being there in 25 years than any other company. I fail to see why anyone takes issue with that.
If you footed the bill for your installation by yourself and it works for you, that's great. But I find the people talking about subsidies usually fail to consider just who is paying their way, and that is wrong to me.