Michigan to pass Renewable Energy Bill--Finally!

[European Socialist]

Does anyone know what incentives there are for residential solar? (tried this question on Michigan forum with no luck)

[daggahead]

1. Wow!

You mean we're finally going to join the 21st century?

I bet my rep voted against it!

Do you have a link?

[DCKit]

2. Great news!!

Here's hoping the consumer benefits are substantial - CA and NY have great plans.

[CanaveralKid]

3. Solar doesn't doesn't do much to reduce the # and size of traditional Power Plants

I have done quite a bit of research on Solar for a business idea I have. Looking into it b/c there will be money to be made due to the 18 billion giveaway; don't really care about the politics of solar. The jist of the program here in Florida is that FPL will credit you back $ for $ what you give back to the grid at the rate they are charging at that moment. The payback after all the state/federal credits seems to be around 6 to 10 years. It will be much more interesting to homeowners when that payback period drops below 5. As cheaper cell technology comes on line that should happen.

Anyhow, to the point of my subject line; currently neither solar or wind will do a damn thing to reduce the size of our current oil, coal or nuclear plants. It’s great for the end-user but the infrastructure must be designed and built to create the amount of power needed during the most demanding hour of the year. Our electric requirements demand a 99.999% reliability factor; that is 5 min a year downtime. Since we have no way of storing the power from solar or wind the plant needs to be designed and built as if the solar or wind adjuncts don't exist. There of course are batteries but they introduce another environmental disaster in the making. In the end this $18 billion giveaway for alternative power is wasted unless it’s used to drastically improve the technology so that it actually reduces the investment in legacy technology; which at this point it won't.

So, we are stuck with oil, coal and nuclear until someone finds a way to capture and STORE solar. I am in favor of moving our entire electric infrastructure to clean coal and nuclear and save oil and fuel for those applications that require mobility. Oil and Gas are still the most powerful and dependable fuel source for moving heavy things really far.

[DCKit]

4. Umm, telling the guy whose mom lives "off the grid" that solar won't/doesn't work...

isn't going to fly.

But thanks for your concern.

[CanaveralKid]

5. Now how does your mom living off the grid

going to power the buildings, factories and homes across America 24/7.

I wrote what I wrote before reading a great article last night in Discover magazine on all the potential energy sources. The article on storage said verbatim what I said but a bit more eloquently. The current alternative energy sources added together provide up to 10% and will go no further without storage. Get your head out of your paradigm.