Please explain to me how harvesting a portion of free energy is “highly inefficient”?
Is your question serious? Are you totally ignorant about the economics of solar power and rooftop solar in particular?
There is no free energy to harvest. Using solar power requires a costly manufacturing and installation process. Solar power provides little baseload and peak power. The payback period on non subsidized rooftop solar is 50 to 100 years, larger than the anticipated lifetime of the panels.
Your reference to free energy is directly from the left’s playbook. I hope you realize how ridiculous your question is.
Compared to the cost of installing a coal, oil, nat gas, nuclear or hydro plant?
No, solar is not a be all and end all, but it is very low maintenance, no ongoing fuel cost supply.
Solar output coincides with peak A/C demand, and helps flatten the demand curve.
Right now, due to massive overproduction in China solar arrays are surprisingly inexpensive.
My 15 year old array and inverter have paid off their original cost. A new system would have an even shorter payback as the arrays are cheaper, the inverters are cheaper and the combined efficiencies are higher.
And THAT is assuming that “Under my [Obama’s] plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket,” doesn’t happen.
Take that bet at your peril.
Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.