Reader Poll: What’s Stopping You from Going Solar?
We’ve got a burning question for you, readers.
If you love solar power, enjoy reading all about it on our solar blog and ultimately hope to own a system yourself, what’s keeping you from taking the plunge? What obstacle, challenge, or hang-up means the difference between clean, free energy and the same old expensive, grid-tied power you’re getting now? Or if you have gone solar, what used to be the issue in the past?
Answer our poll below to share your thoughts.
Photo Credit: Wayne National Forest via Flickr
Posted on September 1st in Going Solar by Brittany.
September 2nd, 2010 at 4:50 am
What about concern over maintenance? PV is a new technology that our grandparents didn’t have, and most of us aren’t early adopters. The objection I address even more, initially, is ‘What about hail damage?’ …although obviously manufacturers build panels to sit on roofs exposed directly to hail. Related to this is concern over dust/dirt/growing trees/snow.
Also: MANY people think there’s a game-changing breakthrough right around the corner, and electricity will be almost free if I wait a few years.
If you had this attitude with computers, wouldn’t you still be waiting for the perfect Windows version before you bought one? Like computers, PV is now a stable, mature technology, with new R&D that contributes incremental improvements each year. But, nothing mind-blowing is going to make energy “too cheap to meter” in the foreseeable future.
Here’s a big one, too: I don’t think I’ll live in this house twenty years, and don’t see how I can recoup my investment when I sell the house.
September 2nd, 2010 at 11:19 am
It’s because Al Gore hasn’t sold us on his carbon derivative scheme yet. All in good time it will be pushed through congress.
September 3rd, 2010 at 7:28 am
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September 3rd, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Oh boy. Those are all issues we address as well, Ken. People seem to think that a little bird poop is going to destroy their solar panels. How do you respond to concerns like that? The “I’m selling my home soon” problem is a rather important one — there are system warranties that can be transferred to new homeowners, but do you know if the overall investment is hard to recoup after you move?
Thanks for your comment.