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Ronnimac's comments:
on Solar Power
Jacob - Love the passion and your POV but things have changed mightily since those "dark ages" in solar as most other things. You are really missing the "big picture" my friend. Yes, subsidies cannot sustain an industry, and shouldn't need to once established, we're approaching that point in several years as places in America are close to "parity" on utility costs with where the cost of solar is headed. Technology is a key driver more than you think, or know. Do you compare anything created in the 1970s & 80s with what is available today?
~ Mac
posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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on Solar Power
http://solarflareblog.com/?p=929
If you'd like to get further insight from a solar advocate on this show / topic, take a look at this blog post and add your own voice to the conversation.
posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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on Solar Power
I understand the sentiment, but I think you're missing the BIG PICTURE in the purpose behind incentives for clean and renewable energy. "Gimmicks" don't work!
posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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on Solar Power
I absolutely agree! Many of us who've written to ODOE (including OSEIA, Mayor Adams, state legislators, et. al.) have requested an extension for ALL consumers and installers, not just those responsible for community projects like Solarize Portland, Pendleton, Beaverton, etc. Otherwise, we're creating the perception that these projects should be held above all others. As Andrea Simmons mentioned on the show, there needs to be some slight modification to the RETC, not a full stop on one of the key drivers to making solar affordable to many.
posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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on Solar Power
For the past six months I’ve volunteered my time to support the Solarize Southwest Portland program and because of volunteers like me these programs have far exceeded expectations. In Portland we’re still crunching the numbers, but if current trending holds, we’ll be adding about 1 Megawatt of clean and renewable energy to our neighborhoods by the end of this year. This amount of residential solar electric installation has never before been seen in the Pac Northwest for existing homes. This clearly shows the level of interest and demand for solar energy here in Oregon.
All of the good work we’ve done to support clean energy in our neighborhoods is now in jeopardy due to the recent action taken by ODOE on the RETC. Perhaps they didn’t consider the impact and negative consequences of this action on my neighbors who are in the midst of purchasing and installing solar electric on their residences. Changing the RETC rules in the middle of this program, without notice, explanation, or recourse, has caused a great deal of consternation and I’m being told that many of my neighbors will cancel their install as they simply cannot afford the out of pocket cost as a result of this ODOE action.
I assume this result was unintended, but it is a reality nonetheless.
If enough people make this decision it will have a major trickle-down negative effect on the resources we’ve put in place to support our plan to install hundreds of solar panels on neighborhood rooftops this summer and fall. The emergency ruling is a direct threat to the JOB CREATION that has resulted from these Solarize projects. It will also have a negative impact on the local economy because cancellations will hurt downstream local producers of equipment such as solar modules, inverters, etc… who have been hiring in Hillsboro and Bend Oregon in order to support this increased demand.
The last thing we need in Oregon right now is to add to the current unemployment condition due to this “emergency ruling” from ODOE.
posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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