Posted by
Mick O. on Monday, July 16, 2007 3:37:37 PM
This is a continuation from the discussion yesterday about the hands free cell phone laws. If it's such a good idea then why wait until 2008? The technology is there, and why does the government care if you can afford the upgrade right away or not. They certainly don't mind raising our taxes on a whim, do they?
So what about solar energy? We live in California where we are bombarded by advertisements by PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) about how environmentally conscious they are. Sun, water, wind. That's their mantra that the little kid rants as his PG&E mom picks him up from day care... renewable energy.
Okay, so we get on the bandwagon and want to install solar panels on our roof. They're ugly, but we're promised that with the tax incentives (Thank you, folks. That's your money they're giving us for going solar!) and energy savings means we will break even in about 5 years... if I live that long!
But here's the point I was starting to make earlier. It can not be turned on until PG&E sends out its inspectors and approves the installation so the solar system can be hooked into the grid... about a month or two from now.
That's right, I said a month. Now why would that be from a company who is using it's commercial dollars to boast about its GREEN position? I'll tell you why; follow the money.
If we go solar, suddenly we are not dependent on PG&E anymore. In fact, they have to buy back any extra power we can supply to the grid. In other words, they lose another customer.
We'll see how much this new unit actually saves us. It will probably be like the Prius, a political statement, but short on saving the environment. I will keep you posted, believe me.
Mick O.