JULY 29, 2015
Report: “Solar power expensive, unreliable, and inefficient”
Americans duped into solar power, taxpayer stuck with bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. –According to a new report released by Citizens for the Republic, the rapid increase in the use of solar energy only accounts for four tenths of one percent of American energy use, the smallest of any renewable source.
The report, Still Not Ready: Why Most Homeowners and Small Businesses Still Find Solar Energy Expensive, Inefficient, Impractical and Unreliable, was written by Greg Walcher, President of Natural Resources, LLC, a noted authority on environmental issues.
“The initial impression for many observers,” the report states, “is that solar energy represents tremendous potential for weaning Americans from their dependence on fossil fuels, and on foreign imports…This report is intended to highlight some of the reasons so many homeowners and small businesses remain skeptical of the solar promise.”
Some of the problems with solar experienced by homeowners and small businesses include:
• Cost: The average for cost for a solar energy system is about $23,000 for a 5-Kilowatt system. Large systems can cost $100,000.
• Subsidies: The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) will reimburse 30 percent of the cost of solar installation. If the ITC is not renewed in 2016, solar costs for the average consumer will greatly increase.
• Long-term Contracts and Liens: Many homeowners who install solar systems find themselves locked into long-term contracts or liens that make it difficult to sell the house.
• Reliability: Solar panels may not last as long as the manufacturers say. In addition, other things such as shade from trees, dust, and other natural things can negatively impact a homeowner’s solar power system.
The report concludes “with respect to rooftop solar, the province homeowners and small businesses, there is no vital interest that requires subsidies. A freer market will encourage faster and more impressive innovations that might even help solar energy achieve new levels of success.”
Citizens for the Republic (www.CFTR.org) is a conservative 501(C) (4) grass roots lobbying organization dedicated to promoting the ideology and political philosophy of Ronald Reagan. Reagan established the original CFTR in 1977. In 2010, a group of Reagan stalwarts re-launched the organization.
