Posted on 08/13/2018 5:32:31 AM PDT by reaganaut1
Californias energy regulators effectively cooked the books to justify their recent command that all homes built in the Golden State after 2020 be equipped with solar panels. Far from a boon to homeowners, the costs to builders and home buyers will likely far exceed the benefits to the state.
The California Energy Commission, which approved the rule as part of new energy-efficiency regulations, didnt conduct an objective, independent investigation of the policys effects. Instead it relied on economic analysis from the consultancy that proposed the policy, Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. Its study concluded that home buyers get a 100% investment returnpaying $40 more in monthly mortgage costs but saving $80 a month on electricity. If its such a good deal, why arent home buyers clamoring for more panels already? Most new homes arent built with solar panels today, even though the state is saturated by solar marketing.
The Energy Commission is too optimistic about the cost of panels. It assumes the cost was $2.93 a watt in 2016 and will decline 17% by 2020. Yet comprehensive analysis of panel costs by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimated the average cost of installed panels to be $4.50 a watt for the 2- to 4-kilowatt systems the policy mandates. That is $4,000 more than regulators claim for a 2.6-kilowatt model system in the central part of the state, where 20% of new homes are expected to be built. Berkeley Lab further estimates that costs fell a mere 1% between 2015 and 2016, far short of the 4% average annual decline the regulators predict.
Now consider the alleged savings on energy bills. The commissions analysis assumes California will maintain its net energy-metering policy, which effectively subsidizes electricity produced by a rooftop solar panel.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
There are some schols where that is called ethiopian engineering.
I made solar collectors by coiling 1” plastic pipe on bronze anodized aluminum sheet sized for installation in frames sized for patio door glass.
I’ve heard it called more alliteratively.
When you have to discard those solar panels, no landfill will take them. Now, you are faced with “hazardous materials costs”. And—the life on them is less than 30 years. Original makers are closing shop & starting new companies so they cannot be traced & sued.
The issue I have and the point of the article is that the government of California should not be mandating the installation of solar panels on anyones house; new or existing.
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