Facebook friend - Steve Israel, Democrat, New York
Is a fan of: Harry Reid, Jay Inslee, Dennis Cardoza, Ed Markey Committee
Posted on 02/21/2010 8:57:43 PM PST by Lorianne
Congressional lawmakers earlier this month introduced legislation designed to get photovoltaic solar panels installed on 10 million rooftops across the United States over the next 10 years. The bill, offered by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), also would increase the capacity of solar hot water by an estimated 10 million gallons over the same period.
The 10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Hot Water bill would provide rebates to various property owners to install photovoltaic (PV) and solar hot water heating systems. The maximum rebate for PV systems would begin at $1.75 per watt and decline to $0.50 per watt in 2018. The maximum solar thermal rebate would total $1 per watt.
Eligible recipients include homeowners, businesses, nonprofit entities, and state and local governments. The properties on which the solar systems would be installed would have to be located within the U.S. and meet energy-efficiency criteria designated by the U.S. Department of Energy. Solar systems could not exceed two megawatts. The total rebate could not surpass 50 percent of the net installed system cost after factoring in other rebates, tax credits, and incentives.
These proposed rebates are designed help overcome initial cost barriers that have slowed widespread solar adoption despite 92 percent of the American public agreeing that it is important for the nation to develop and use solar energy.
"Passing this bill would create the world's largest market for solar energy here in the U.S. and bring with it tens of thousands of manufacturing and installation jobs in all 50 states," Solar Energy Industries Association President Rhone Resch said. "The solar industry is ready now to step up to meet the challenge that Sen. Sanders and Rep. Cohen have laid out for our country."
Disagree, there is no “they” DnTn, what should happen is solar cell makers should offer “shake and bake” solar systems that come at a flat rate and offer easily defined benefits.
Then as their use spreads the cost comes down and R&D monies go upwards, but the Pioneers and Followers will have the Cache of being the first folks to invent and use these systems.
RESCH, RHONE
WASHINGTON, DC 20015
SOLAR ENERGY INDUSTRIES ASSN/PRESID
SOLAR ENERGY INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION PAC $1,000
primary 03/28/06
RESCH, RHONE
WASHINGTON, DC 20015
SOLAR ENERGY INDUSTRIES ASSOC/PRESI THOMAS, WILLIAM M (R)
House (CA 22)
BILL THOMAS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $1,000
primary 11/04/05
Resch, Rhone
Washington, DC 20015
NGSA/Vice President KERRY, JOHN F (D)
President
KERRY VICTORY 2004 $250
primary 08/04/04
Resch, Rhone
Washington, DC 20015
Natural Gas Supply Association/Vice
ENVIRONMENT2004 INC PAC $1,000
primary 06/02/04
RESCH, RHONE
WASHINGTON, DC 20015
NASA
DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE (D) $500
primary 06/27/01
Back in the early 80s, Congress passed a bill that gave tax advantages and/or rebates to those who installed solar panels on their roof. IIRC, it worked out that you ended up breaking about even with the government rebates/tax advantages and the savings on electricity coming close to paying for the solar panels. Around a half dozen people in my neighborhood bit on the deal and put up the solar panels.
They were all removed within 10 years. It think our frequent hailstorms were a little hard on them.
“Not neccessarily, for example early Cellphones and personal Computers were not cost efficient, yet their purchase did spawn a market during the days of the 4k PC and the 1k cellphone.”
#1 - WE THE TAXPAYER NEVER PAID FOR EARLY CELL PHONE SUBSIDIES!
That is a huge gaping hole in that analogy.
Subsidies do NOT help advance technology. all they do is suck money from the productive and give it to the less efficient.
#2 - Secondly, cell phones and PC rode the Moore’s law curve of semiconductor manufacturing. Solar panels cannot, as there is a limited energy per square inch from solar.
The last time I looked, it looked like by the time you paid for your system (cells and batteries) with the energy savings, you would be about ready to start replacing the system. Has it gotten any better?
RhoneResch - lobbyist
Team solar is on the plane with a who’s who from the Hill. Ironically this could one of the best US lobbying opportunities going.
2:13 PM Dec 12th, 2009 from Tweetie
Today is 1-year anniversary of stimulus, which led to 18,000 new solar industry jobs in 09.
Strong outlook for solar in 2010 if we get key policies! http://tiny.cc/SEIAnews
11:09 AM Feb 9th from web
Obama focused on jobs in SOTU. Solar is creating good jobs today, but can do even more with a strong Jobs Bill. http://tinyurl.com/yfgqz7e
8:19 PM Jan 27th from web
Obamas arrival has COP excited. Break through on negotiations last night bode well for an agreement.
12:09 AM Dec 18th, 2009 from Tweetie
Packing bags for #Copenhagen. Excited to spread message at #COP15 that solar can do more & do it soon to fight #climate change
10:45 AM Dec 11th, 2009 from web
Gov. Richardson continues an emerging theme at #SolPwr09. The solar industry must flex its political muscle. Good will alone is not enough.
8:04 AM Oct 29th, 2009 from web
Senate Climate Bill is a good start for accelerating solar energy so the U.S. can address climate challenges: http://tinyurl.com/ybkzbhz
1:53 PM Sep 30th, 2009 from web
When solar hits $1/Watt I’ll jump all over it. Until then it’s yet another government sponsored waste of time.
The Democrats already did this over 30-years ago. Doesn’t every house already have solar:
The Energy Tax Act, enacted November 9, 1978, is a law passed by the U.S. Congress as part of the National Energy Act. Is established a 15 percent tax credit for solar energy.
The objective of this law was shift from oil and gas supply toward energy conservation; thus, to promote fuel efficiency and renewable energy through taxes and tax credits
Grid-tied systems and rooftop water collectors... What a waste of tax dollars. Both solar and wind work well in certain areas off of the grid, but I wouldn’t have any of those systems in a city. Rich suburbanites and their their welfare schemes are costing working class rural folks, who more often pay for their necessary and effective off-grid systems without government help, out of house and home.
No-vote!
Right on morons, lets encourage people to invest in one of the worst cost-benefit energy technologies out there. Way to go, you arrogant, unrestrained, ignorant scumbags.
Was there even a Moore’s law in the early 80’s?
Orignal cellphone tech did use localized Radio Towers though which are heavily regulated and licensed by the .Gov’s so don’t go overboard with that notion.
OT, but I attempted to take a look at the site in your sig (iamtheresistance.org) but it doesn’t work for folk who are not a part of the microsoft collective.
Facebook friend - Steve Israel, Democrat, New York
Is a fan of: Harry Reid, Jay Inslee, Dennis Cardoza, Ed Markey Committee
And BTW, the costs for PV (solar electric) panels and other components has risen steeply over the past few years because of the tax credits and other subsidies for grid-tied hogs.
“Was there even a Moore’s law in the early 80’s?”
Yes. Gordon Moore postulated the ability to increase the number of transistors on an integrated circuit, that it would double every 2 years, in the late 1960s. The marvel is that “Moore’s Law” has held true, more or less, from that time until even today.
Just because Govt regulated radio frequencies, dont get the nutty idea that Govt was a part of that innovation. The cell phone was invented in the private sector, by Motorola (and inspired by Star Trek!!!).
Cell phones are amazingly more powerful now than 20 years ago because we pack a lot more on chips than 20 years ago and they use much less power.
A horrible idea. Another huge government boondoggle. If solar panels were economically viable, they would not need taxpayer subsidies. Green plants are the best solar collectors available, and nuclear power beats anything else. Governemnt is creating another bubble, a huge “green” fraud that will take precious resources away from the private sector to waste on fraudulent political correctness.
There’s not much cost or energy savings that I can see happening soon, unless they pass some sort of cap and trade that would make electricity generated from fossil fuels a lot more expensive (which is naturally what they want to do). I could probably spend about 30K to 40K $$ and cut my electric bill in half (all electric house) but the payback would probably take around 15 years.
If the water is hard, the solar water heaters last 10 to 15 years, before they become completely inefficient because of buildup of calcium in the pipes. There were lots of them in my neighborhood when I moved here, there are only a couple left, and they are inoperative.
The solar panels our neighbor in Phoenix had attached to his roof came flying off during a windstorm and fortunately landed in his own front yard without injuring anyone. They were NOT reinstalled.
Those in climates where snowload is heavy, best be prepared to remove deep snow from them without ruining the panels.
The problem is that the benefits currently don't justify the costs without the incentives. The only people who would buy them, are people who are in remote locations, and a few ultragreenies that have more money than common sense.
There are at least 3 approaches:
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