Demand German Solar Prices

In the golden state, solar is booming with over one gigawatt of rooftop solar installed.  Still, many of us Californians are frustrated with solar – frustrated there is not more of it.

We shouldn’t stop at frustration.  We should be outraged.

Greedy utility companies, and complacent politicians are depriving Californians of clean and affordable energy. 

Powering much more our state with solar is absolutely doable.  That is, if the major energy players put the full weight of their agencies behind it. 

A slew of articles in recent weeks featured this graphic comparing equal sized solar systems in Germany and the U.S.

Why in Europe, where most goods cost twice as much as in the U.S., are solar systems half the price? 

The answer is Red Tape.  Mountains of it.

Paperwork, fees, delays, changes in policy…  These are the problems that mire American solar, making it twice as costly as German sun power.

Demand for solar will increase as prices drop (really).  Residents, alongside the solar industry, must demand the roadblocks holding back renewable energy be removed. 

Insist on German-priced solar in the U.S.  Support Vote Solar and Citizens Climate Lobby. 

Solar Forward

www.solarforward.com

What’s the “deal” with Unleash Solar?

Fed by abundant sunshine and a seemingly bottomless marketing budget, you may have noticed the Unleash Solar billboard garden that recently sprouted up across LA.

A cursory search led me an Aussi message board ripping into Unleash Solar, as well as this priceless video.  From the disappointment in the customer’s voice, you might think he was talking about Pluto’s removal as a planet rather than a shoddy inverter installation.

“You get what you pay for,” states one disgruntled message board poster.

Despite the highly publicized undoing of Solyndra and the like, the solar market is hot.  Venture capitalists eager to jump on board have yielded a number of companies like Unleash Solar, with more marketing expertise than understanding of solar technology and installation.

The model is simple: market big, install cheap by cutting corners, and cash in on the booming market.

At Solar Forward, we’ve proudly installed quality products with a skilled crew since 2005.  Because, after all, we’re a solar company.

Solar Pinball

Combine solar permitting bureaucracy and a no nonsense Solar Forward employee, and the result is a frustrated (and illustrating) work of art.  See creation above.

Gaining a permit may be the most cumbersome step involved in solar.  As city departments acclimate to the ever-increasing demand for renewable energy, contractors and clients sit.  And wait.  And wait.

In some cities (cough Van Nuys, cough Calabasas) obtaining a permit to install solar can feel like a cruel game of pinball, bouncing from one hurdle to the next.  The diagram above depicts a recent Building & Safety Department adventure.

Three hours, eleven lines, one permit.  I’d rather deal with the DMV.  

We all know “time is money”.  Are you familiar with this one, “wasted time is wasted money”?

This is not a meaningless gripe.  Attention must be given to these issues if we hope to see the solar industry and government work symbiotically.  When this happens, we will see more efficient, cost-effective, and greener cities.