Pssst. It’s a secret; the Solar panel home market is exploding

I guess that Rupert Murdoch forbids publicizing the boom in solar electric generation. You have to search for articles like this:

Solar Leasing Companies Head Eastward. Popsicle, Anyone?

Backup power for power outages

With this heat wave and other extreme weather becoming the “New Normal” power outages may become a regular occurrence.

This is something I haven’t tried but looks interesting. I think I could add this to my existing power set up. 

SmartBox Plug-in Solar SmartBox Wind SmartBox Backup Clarian Power

CLIMATE REALITY

Climate Reality Project 

Continuing “Ferocious Cost Reductions” for Solar Energy

Sometime in the next 5 years photovoltaic power generation will be less expensive than most coal powered electric generation. Add the hidden health and environmental cost of coal and solar is dramatically lower in cost.

SEE:
Climate Progress

Anatomy of a Solar PV System: How to Continue “Ferocious Cost Reductions” for Solar Electricity

By Stephen Lacey on Jul 6, 2011 at 11:52 am

Most everyone knows the pace of products in digital technology. It was only 10 years ago that going to all digital photography was unthinkable for professional photographers now film is hard to find. IPhones do more than a desktop computer of a decade ago. The rate of change in photovoltaic technology has a pace similar digital technology.

The cost of photovoltaic manufacturing has dropped so dramatically that Balance of Systems Costs; labor, structure, wiring, design, financing and permitting costs are where the cost savings are.

Rocky Mountain Institute

Solar PV Balance of System

Next Steps and Key Recommendations

With a relatively young industry and no silver-bullet technology solution, reducing BoS costs is a challenge. Each PV system has unique characteristics, must be individually designed, and is regulated by one of nearly 30,000 local jurisdictions.Yet many near-term opportunities for cost reduction do exist, primarily related to improving technology, more appropriate regulations, better information and economies of skill and scale.

Fossil fuel energy is near extinction. Long term investing in fossil fuel is insane.

Investing at least long term investing in fossil fuel by individuals in this 21^st Century is much like investing in whaling in the late 19^th Century, very, very risky.

 

Imagine if back in the 1890s the Federal Government had a long term program to invest billions to prop up the failing whaling industry. Goofy, right?

 

Investing in energy projects by governments are by their nature long term and government investments in a doomed industry such as fossil fuel production is insane.

 

“Google, a leader of innovation in the digital economy, says that without a private and public focus on innovation in renewables, storage and electric vehicles, the cost of delaying the clean energy economy could be in the trillions of dollars to the U.S.”

 

Google: Delaying Clean Energy Transition “Only 5 Years Could Leave Trillions on the Table”

By Stephen Lacey on Jun 28, 2011 at 11:42 am

President Clinton cut energy use 20% by 2020

Cutting Building Energy Use 20% by 2020: Clinton Global Initiative Launches Major Efficiency Program

By Climate Guest Blogger on Jul 2, 2011 at 8:40 am

“Pres. Clinton:  If we change the way we produce and consume energy to fight global warming in the right way we will open up a whole new explosive era of American economic opportunity by saving the planet for our grandchildren. The idea that this is bad for us is nuts. We just have to do it in a smart way.  And [Sec. Chu] has determined to figure out what the smart ways are.”