Today one of the worst displays of misinformation was published to the Sun-Sentinel in regards to the solar industry, see for yourself: sun-sentinel/news/opinion/fl-oped-solar-20140718,0,6450141.story. PLEASE READ MY RESPONSE BELOW! I have sent Joseph Joe Gibbons my response directly. LIKE if you support solar - we need your help more than ever now! Florida Solar: FlaSEIA Mr. Gibbons, I read your article in the SS in regards to solar installations for homes in FL. I must disagree with your stance on this issue for the following reasons. First, you say there are many subsidies helping pay for solar, when in reality, there are not. There is NO state level incentive and there has not been one in years. You write that Net Metering is among one of these incentives when it is not. Net metering is hardly beneficial to a solar home owner, as you do not get the full retail rate for energy you sell back. FPL pays you their avoided cost, which is close to half the retail rate. This actually hurts the financial analysis of solar sales. Also, most homes do not have the available roofspace to support a solar installation that will offset their bill completely, let alone, sell excess energy back to the grid. Net Metering is AVOIDED by more solar installers/contractors than you think. Second, you say that non-solar customers have to foot the heightened bill caused by solar customers, how? In what way do these low-income home owners get the short end of the stick because they dont have solar? EVERYONES electricity bill increases on average 4% per year, no matter if you have solar or not. Im not sure where this claim comes from and I did not see any evidence supporting this claim in your article. When a home goes solar, any excess energy it produces is re-distributed to other nearby homes for them to use. This is a growing concept called distributed generation. In turn, utility companies incur NO extra expenses from this scenario, since their peak demand is actually reduced - so their coal/fracking/nuclear generation methods are needed LESS. So, again, not sure how solar on one home costs another home more money in the long run. Third, you say that the vast majority of Floridians cannot afford solar nor can they qualify for a lease because of credit problems. Well, solar in Florida is cheaper than in almost any other state, thousands of dollars cheaper - and were seeing payback on cash invested within 10-11 years on an asset that lasts over 25 years, between 7-9% percent IRR, over 200% total lifecycle payback, and more! How is this not affordable? Plus, the financing methods recently introduced into Florida have very lenient requirements for credit (a 620 score will qualify a homeowner for an unsecured loan of up to $40,000). If you simply Google Average credit score FL the result is a surprising 669-690. So how is your statement about near perfect credit AT ALL true?! The solution is to allow the solar industry to thrive by offering homeowners and business owners financing options like PACE and zero down solar loans. The solar industry not only challenges the MONOPOLY business model of state utility companies, it creates jobs, it creates community, it creates energy awareness and it gives people freedom from inevitably increasing electricity rates. Solar increases home values (FACT), it challenges the construction industry to think differently about new building practices and it motivates people to get educated. Solar electricity challenges utilities to better manage the outdated grid and to update their practices to achieve higher efficiency while DECREASING their dependence on coal, fracking, and nuclear power - all things that should have the bad press you article is trying to give to solar, but I dont see too many articles about that. I feel that your article is lacking crucial information and that it should removed from the Sun-Sentinal right away. Your article and others like it are the reason that people are misinformed about the solar industry in Florida. I have no idea where you got these claims from but they seem to be completely fabricated or majorly influenced. The question is, will you read my response? Do you care? Why did you write your article in the first place? -Michael Vergona
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:37:52 +0000
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