Arnold sabotages solar in Calif.

[donsu]

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/mailbag/379


A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: California's Gov'nor crap-for-brains is single-handedly responsible for collapse of the previously booming solar industry in the state of California ...

Source: LA Times

Rebate rule chills sales of solar
By Marc Lifsher, Times Staff Writer

SACRAMENTO -- California homeowners are rejecting new rebates for solar power equipment, saying the state has made installing the rooftop panels far more costly than expected.

As a result, Public Utilities Commission reports show a decline of 78% in rebate requests in the first three months of this year, compared with last year, and the solar installation industry says it is threatened with collapse across much of California.

At issue is a requirement the state added Jan. 1 for getting a rebate under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Million Solar Roofs program. Applicants must first sign up for costly pricing plans offered by utilities that charge more for their electricity during hours of peak demand.

A BuzzFlash Reader
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wonder who paid him to do that?

[One_Life_To_Give]

1. Why would it matter?

Applicants must first sign up for costly pricing plans offered by utilities that charge more for their electricity during hours of peak demand.

With solar power wouldn't you not be using any grid energy during peak load times?

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. If you don't have an energy effiecient home you might find

that you need to pay for some peak hour usage, but surely not as much as if you have no solar panels/shingles.

[One_Life_To_Give]

5. For poor efficiency panels should be last not first improvement

On a $/Watt basis. The most effective use is to improve efficiency. Not sure it's good policy to encourage people to buy PV panels when they should be upgrading insulation, etc.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

3. Check out what this guy is doing:

http://www.solarwarrior.com/

This is a local guy who made a bunch of money selling companies during the high-tech boom, and is now devoted to conservation of the Calif. coast and promotion of solar technologies.

He was sued by Barbra Streisand for including her house in photos he took of the California coast -- he was creating photo-documentation of the coast and her house was in the way. :)

He also won a legal battle against PG&E when they claimed his setup would require upgrades to the grid infrastructure.

It's a fascinating site; you can see his real-time energy usage, as well as history of their output.

[ToeBot]

4. It's not like anyone has forgotten who put Arnold in office and why. n/t

[Zywiec]

6. I would love to install solar panels on my roof

You can even get a quote on the Home Depot site. Unfortunately it is still way too expensive. It would take about 20 years to recoup you expenses. Now if I were still young and planning on being here forever, I would hook it up.

We need more tax incentives to GO SOLAR!