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Solar cells are a great source of energy if you live out
in the boondocks and it is going to cost $50,000 for
ever mile of power lines you have to string to your home
or have a satellite in outer space that needs electric power.
But solar cells can't even come close to providing electric power at rates comparable to gas, oil, water or nuclear powered electric generating plants that provide electric to most of the people in the world. In this letter to the editor Kevin Hengehold seems to be saying that solar cells can provide electric power at rates that are comparable to the power generated by the grid. So based on that I have to say Kevin Hengehold is 100 percent wrong in his letter to the editor. Letter: Rooftop solar has taken a beating Posted: Saturday, June 8, 2013 9:37 am Letter to the Editor Rooftop solar has been taking a beating At the Residential Utility Consumer Office’s workshop last week there was talk of seriously impairing rooftop solar in Arizona. The program where residents with solar panels sell power back to the utility at the same rate they bought it, called ‘net metering,’ has been threatened by APS and other Arizona utilities. The argument being made is that the program is a cross-subsidy, that those who haven’t put solar panels on their roofs are paying for those who have. A long-term analysis of the program tells a different tale. A recent study from Crossborder Energy showed that every dollar of investment in rooftop solar yields $1.50 in benefits for APS ratepayers. It turns out these solar roofs are actually subsidizing the rest of us! Rooftop solar panels provide retail power to the grid, meaning it’s only fair that customers be credited at a retail rate. Net metering provides fair compensation to rooftop solar energy providers, and that solar energy provides a net benefit for the community. Clearly, net metering is a win-win and should be continued. Kevin Hengehold Phoenix |