Here in sunny Texas I haven’t noticed a big push for solar power to displace fossil fuels, but bright ideas are cropping up in states like California and Arizona.
Los Angeles, for example, is pushing a combined solar power/ job creation initiative (http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/20/local/me-green20), and despite the fog, San Francisco is seeking to expand incentives and subsidies for solar power. (See http://www.sfsolarsubsidy.com/)
In Arizona, residents who install solar panels receive a payment from their utility company, a state tax credit, plus the federal tax credit. One power supplier, SRP, helps its customers make informed decisions by showing them approximately how much it would cost to install 3 kW of solar panels http://www.srpnet.com/environment/earthwise/solar/default.aspx
and how long it would take to get the investment back. Right now, payback time is 23 years, but with energy prices headed north, the breakeven point could come sooner.
The trend is spreading to businesses, too. In Arizona, Cox Communications is testing an innovative partnership in which Cox installs solar panels on customers’ roofs and shares in the electric profits. (See http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0524biz-coxsolar0524.html)
Yup, a bright idea.
