Word: solarity
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Instead of squabbling over the nickels and dimes of offshore oil, we need to create a national plan to capture the future of energy: wind, solar, electric cars, next-generation biofuels. And this should be America's priority even among those who don't believe a word Al Gore has ever said about global warming. If we have any chance of avoiding a future where we feel nostalgic for $4-a-gallon gas, or where countries with lots of oil (Russia, for example) can make a mockery of our foreign policy, we'll need scaled-up alternatives now. Drilling advocates...
There were limits to how green Bruce Letvin was willing to go. For years, the 53-year-old anatomy professor had wanted to install solar panels on his Manhattan Beach, Calif., home. But the up-front installation costs always outweighed the benefits for the environment and his conscience. This spring, however, he managed to work out green financing with the help of solar company SunPower. After determining that his electricity bills and roof exposure were large enough to make him a good candidate for its solar panels, the company, based in San Jose, Calif., helped him find a 15-year...
That stiff up-front cost has always been the biggest barrier to residential use of solar power. An average set of rooftop panels costs $20,000 to $30,000 and takes 10 to 15 years to produce enough electricity to pay for itself--a deal not unlike asking a new cell-phone owner to pay in advance for a decade's worth of minutes. But that equation will change as the cost of solar panels drops and the price of fossil-fuel-generated electricity rises. (Letvin's utility provider just put in for a 30% rate increase for the heaviest...
...Sure, solar panels are a hefty investment, and credit markets are tightening up. But with carbon caps looming on the horizon and power supplies running short, customers like John Stubblebine of Cupertino, Calif., can insulate themselves from future electricity shocks. A technology consultant, he financed a $35,000 system with a 15-year lease from SolarCity. "If the worst forecasts are true, I'll come out a big winner," he says...
...Still, solar isn't for every home. Different parts of the U.S. receive vastly different amounts of sunlight, so a solar panel in sun-drenched Las Vegas will always be more productive than one in cloudy Seattle. Incentives vary from state to state and can tip the numbers as well. But financing means that at least you won't need a lot of excess green to go green...