Solar (im)Possibility?

My friend in the south towns received the call today that allowed him to throw the switch on the solar array that he had put on his house. Now he wants to get married so he can expand it. I can think of better reasons to get married.

In any event, as of last chat, he generated in the realm of 14 kW of electricity from 12:30 PM through 7 PM. Not bad for a half days work. He rarely gets excited. This excited him. He's a bit of a tree hugger. (Yes, I've seen him hug a tree. For real. He said it needed it. Maybe he needs some drug testing. After we get done with anyone that thinks college sports is a good financial idea for colleges.)

So he has either 14 or so panels across the top of his roof and the system is expandable. He's probably a good candidate for wind too out where he lives in the country. (Or in front of his mouth when he get talking about something passionately.)

Not so the people in Buffalo where National Grid is setting up small arrays on peoples' houses with the intent of generating enough electricity to take $17 to $20 off of their electric bills. And not everyone that is a good candidate for the panels is receiving them.

First – they have to check the roof. If it's not in good condition, no panels. Even though these people might benefit greatly from having their electricity bill knocked down a few bucks.

Where is the program to fix these peoples' roofs up? Fixing up all those roofs would create a decent amount of jobs and, if properly insulated and covered with metal instead of oil (it's what shingles are made of) would help cut gown on heating costs and electric usage. Jobs plus savings on bills and saving the environment. This is a winning program. I'm not going to hold my breath on seeing it get done any time soon.

Second they get the panels. I've seen a few of the arrays. When my friend received the proposed layout for his panels, it was a strange set up. When the solar install team came in, they had a better plan that would make it easier to set up the panels and make it easier to expand the system. He went with the revision.

These arrays in Buffalo are … I don't know what to say other than set up to fail? They are set up in strange patterns that make it impossible to expand. I know that some of the roofs are in strange shapes and that makes it difficult to mount panels on, but still.

And like I said, it's like National Grid wants the project to fail so that people get a negative impression of solar. Rather than show the positive possibilities of green energy, it is as if they are trying to make it miserable for all involved so that people discount what decentralized electricity production can do or be. (In my opinion.)

National Grid makes money by distributing electricity produced by others. They have to buy the electricity, mark it up, and then send it out. Solar and wind, which make it possible for people not to need a big corporate enterprise like National Grid, NYSEG, Rochester Gas & Electric, among so many others, takes the power away from the big corporations and put it back in the hands of the people. (Pun intended.)

Wall Street is not going to stand for that. Neither will the executives who need their multi million dollar salaries and bonuses.

If household battery technology takes off, then these corporations become even more unnecessary. The excess electricity generated by these systems could be stored and used at night rather than buying electricity from the grid. And as the technology improves, what my friend has as an array will eventually be able to power more than his house. I can see him with an electric car soon.

So, two areas, two different companies, and two different experiences.

Who do you think will stick with the program?

And the real question, who would benefit the most?

The answer needs to be all of us.