Alexander Hamilton's Solar Panels

I intend I lastly induce got figured out why California is mandating solar panels on hap of houses. (WSJ even out here.)

As energy, environmental, or housing policy, it borders on the absurd, equally pretty much everyone speedily figured out.

Just to recap, hollo upward that nigh rooftop solar does non powerfulness the household underneath it. The liberate energy goes out to the grid. Why not, you lot ask? Well, the rooftop liberate energy comes at the incorrect time, in addition to nosotros don't soundless induce got economical storage, in addition to hence you lot induce got to live connected to the grid anyway. Given that, the costs of switches to allow the roof partially powerfulness the household at sometimes, powerfulness the grid at other times, is non worth the zilch benefit. After all, electricity is electricity in addition to your low-cal bulb does non assist where it came from.

So rooftops are only a identify to set the electrical utility's solar panels. Now let's consider, where is the best identify to set solar panels that feed the grid?

Option A:


(OK, inwards reality the Mojave desert, or the vast stretches of wasteland along I-5 pockmarked alongside angry farmer billboards, but the camels are cute.)

Option B: The roof of a typical northern California house:
http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Dewitt/Dewitt.html

(OK, I'm having fun alongside this one, but you lot larn the point. Actually a household off the grid is ane identify where rooftop solar does brand a lot of sense, but you lot don't induce got to forcefulness people to purchase them inwards that case.)

To belabor the point, people similar to produce houses nigh trees. Trees shading roofs are heavily protected inwards Palo Alto where I live, in addition to you lot direct a opportunity massive fines if you lot cutting ane down. House roofs don't e'er pitch to the southwest at the optimum angle.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 household is an expensive in addition to flammable construction for a solar panel. You demand to live a lot to a greater extent than careful putting it upward at that spot than out inwards the desert. In California especially, each installation needs a split upward design, pattern review, permits, in addition to and hence on. Code requirements are stringent. Each installation needs big switches, where the plough over the axe subdivision tin larn at them (and a split upward ane for the battery). Each household needs a split upward laid of switches to connect to the grid. All of these fixed costs are spread agency out on a commercial solar farm out inwards the desert.

And in addition to hence on. We don't locomote tiny coal burning generators inwards each household for the same adept reasons.

So why is California doing it? Grumpy complimentary marketers tend to bemoan nitwit liberalism, but economic science teaches us to await for rational maximizing actors fifty-fifty inwards government.

So hither is a suggestion. It's genuinely a bright move. Large-scale rooftop solar is entirely sustained past times subsidies -- taxation credits for installation in addition to the requirement that homeowners tin sell powerfulness to their beau citizens (through the utility) at above-market rates. To set the thing mildly, non everybody thinks these subsidies are a adept idea, in addition to moreover you lot can't count on Washington to keep subsidies for the thirty twelvemonth lifespan of solar panels. You never know, mortal like, say, Donald Trump mightiness larn elected president in addition to starting fourth dimension violent apart liberate energy subsidies.

So, ane time solar panels are on the rooftops of thousands of registered voters, you induce got a natural constituency that volition vote in addition to otherwise pressure level the state, the administration, congress, in addition to agencies to locomote along solar subsidies. 

The Alexander Hamilton even out is that he wanted the US of America federal regime to accept on the province debts from the revolutionary war, inwards role to produce a bird of bondholders who would back upward the federal government's powerfulness to heighten taxes, to pay off that debt. Putting solar panels on houses, though ridiculously inefficient from an liberate energy or surround indicate of view, achieves the same thing, inwards a nefarious form of way.

Too bad they can't only plough over each of us a solar panel out inwards the desert, the agency roughly charities demonstrate you lot "your" modest fry inwards roughly third-world country. Once a year, you lot larn a bill of fare "Happy holidays! I'm your solar panel, release 3457 inwards the Mojave desert. I've had a slap-up twelvemonth pumping out electricity! Here is your banking concern check for $357.52 inwards subsidies in addition to powerfulness generation. Remember to vote on election day!"

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