Why isn't every rooftop in California, a solar-electric cell?

Question

If we are serious about seeking out alternative energy sources, why is this technology more readily available to us? If the companies that build these cells need a tax incentive from the state, what's a few extra bucks worth of taxes to make this happen?

Answer 1

This may come. The issue at this point is that solar panel are still fairly expensive.

Answer 2

That's a great question. I still can't figure out why my community is always whining about water shortage but allows gallons of rainwater to run off the downtown buildings when they could be collecting it. Instead they use the faucet to water all the city trees, gardens, parks and flower beds! Rainwater harvesting is so easy.
Also, new building design could incorporate passive solar into their plans and old buildings could be retrofitted for passive solar. Passive solar is FREE!
If there is something that could be done but isn't being done, follow the money trail. That's where the answer is.
Have you seen "Who Killed the Electric Car"?

Answer 3

Ok. For one I am in agreement with you. Except for the few extra bucks! In my state, the state of New Jersey it is possible to recieve rebates totallying 65% of the cost of Solar PotoVoltalic Arrays. I have priced such a system for my house. It will cost me about $37,000 for such an array AFTER REBATES. Yes, that means a price tag of about $80,000 for such an array. Each panel is about $1,000 each, some more. The wiring will depend on the system and electrician. The extras (battery backups, two way meters, voltage and ampage step down and converters ect ect ect) will run you the rest. What average home owner has an extra $37,000 to put into a solar array? Yes it will pay for itself in about 9 years, but it is still the cost of an expensive new car and 30% the cost of many homes!! The only way this will come into widestread use is through federal mandates. If it were mandated that all new construction have a solar array which uses at least 50% of the available roof space to generate electricity, then you will start to see the prices start to come down to ones we can all afford. I very much want to put such an array on my house. I cannot afford the out of pocket expense even after rebates. Maybe anouther model to get it accomplished woudl be to mandate all utility companies to generate a certain percentage of their electric power through PVAs. This would put the utility companies in the position to offer to the homeowners "Leases" on the area of the homeowner's rooftop to put utility owned PVAs up. This woudl likely do more quicker to put PhotoVoltalic Arrays up on more homes. When faced with the prospect of building more power plants, the Unitlity companies might find it in their best interest to invest in PVAs on homeowner leased rooves. A thought to explore.

Answer 4

Solar cells are too expensive for "every rooftop".

California does have tax incentives to encourage them, but it still takes an above average income or a house located off the grid for solar electricity to be feasible.

It's growing, though.

Answer 5

Try to sell someone a solar panel and you will see they will ask you how much money they will make from using it. You tell them that they will get a full pay back in ten years or so and they will tell you that it is not worth it. So it is not just the big corp's, it is the American public as well. If it is not a Corvette or an MP3 player then it has to put money in their back pocket or is not worth the investment.

Answer 6

The technology is readily available. If you want to buy solar panels, you can easily find resources on the web.

The problem is that the government isn't making a big push for it.

Answer 7

I have to agree with you. For that matter, why isn't every roof in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and parts of Utah and Colorado solar?
I see it as the Utilities are afraid of losing customers. Or worse, having to pay them for their energy. When we had soalr panels put on our house in the LA area, Siemans made the panels. Guess who bought Siemans? Shell. The oil companies are grabbing up solar options so they have backup and so they can control the market. Those great words America was built on..."Money talks".

Answer 8

there are many solutions to alternative energy ,but they lack government support and are all still very expensive ,simple because Governments have far too much economic control over people with the present energy sources .

there has been an hydrogen engine for almost 80 years that was invented by Rudolph Steiner ,that runs on water treated by electrololosis,He was assasinated for his efforts at the dawn of the petroleum era.

when the oil runs out we will be flooded with alternative energy and by then they will have figured a way out how to charge for it,

Answer 9

possibly because they comprehend that image voltaic isn't "eco-friendly". image voltaic panels at the instantaneous are not obtainable to recycle and they are as undesirable waste as CDs and DVDs. :) quite not, the final bloke does not care. In oz., the authorities subsidizes image voltaic panels, and there is a panel on very almost another abode, a minimum of in QLD, and NSW (there at the instantaneous are not that many in VIC). those are especially affordable that procedures, A$2-3K and pay off in 2 years or so. no one buys that type of stuff if there is not any payoff (human beings prefer to have reasonable quantity of money and protection to make investments). IMO, something that is going previous 5 years or so is stumbled on by technique of maximum to be irrational to make investments into. human beings flow round, purchase and promote residences and that i wager that's not increasing the marketing value as a lot because it expenditures.

Answer 10

It's the silicon that is the cruncher in these types of PV cells. I mean until silicon get cheap, then and only then we can apply this technology. BUt until then, we have to be concerned about long term planning. what if there is not enough silicon left over.