http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org Tennessee Solar Energy Association Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:19:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2009/12/20/tennessee-needs-to-allow-pace-financing/#comment-2174 admin Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:22:03 +0000 http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2009/12/20/tennessee-needs-to-allow-pace-financing/#comment-2174 That is another option that has been brought to our attention. It amounts to having a number of home owners share a piece of land or having solar on one or more home roofs. The owners then form a partnership to purchase the solar system, whether ground-based or roof-based, and decide how many panels they want to install in the communal panel array. Each owner could have their own inverter and power meter. They purchase so many panels in the array and have the panels send the power collected to their power meter through their inverter. The owners could add panels to their system at any time. That is another option that has been brought to our attention. It amounts to having a number of home owners share a piece of land or having solar on one or more home roofs. The owners then form a partnership to purchase the solar system, whether ground-based or roof-based, and decide how many panels they want to install in the communal panel array. Each owner could have their own inverter and power meter. They purchase so many panels in the array and have the panels send the power collected to their power meter through their inverter. The owners could add panels to their system at any time.

]]> http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2009/12/20/tennessee-needs-to-allow-pace-financing/#comment-1279 Peter Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:16:00 +0000 http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2009/12/20/tennessee-needs-to-allow-pace-financing/#comment-1279 I am not keen on increasing taxes. How about creating products that allow multiple home owners to share a system and benefit equally from the saving based on individual useage. I am not keen on increasing taxes. How about creating products that allow multiple home owners to share a system and benefit equally from the saving based on individual useage.

]]> http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2009/10/30/middle-tennessee-solar-tour/#comment-1227 louboutin Sat, 10 Apr 2010 00:46:36 +0000 http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2009/10/30/middle-tennessee-solar-tour/#comment-1227 It's so lucky for me to find your blog! So shocking and great! Just one suggestion: It will be better and easier to follow if your blog can offer rrs subscription service. It’s so lucky for me to find your blog! So shocking and great! Just one suggestion: It will be better and easier to follow if your blog can offer rrs subscription service.

]]> http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2010/02/08/tsea-supports-solar-thermal-systems/#comment-1109 Solar panel installation and solar thermal Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:31:33 +0000 http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2010/02/08/tsea-supports-solar-thermal-systems/#comment-1109 <p>You are so right about solar thermal. Its amazing that the simplest, cheapest form of solar energy is the least understood and known. Although the developing world has been using solar thermal extensively, we in the US are just now embracing it. We clearly need to do more to educate the consumer about the benefits of solar thermal.</p> You are so right about solar thermal. Its amazing that the simplest, cheapest form of solar energy is the least understood and known. Although the developing world has been using solar thermal extensively, we in the US are just now embracing it. We clearly need to do more to educate the consumer about the benefits of solar thermal.

]]> http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2009/11/11/the-first-tennessee-solar-symposium/#comment-23 caribou67 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:57:43 +0000 http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2009/11/11/the-first-tennessee-solar-symposium/#comment-23 The obvious here is make it affordable and people will buy it whether it has a sales tax reduction or not. Why does an aluminum box with solar cells cost $ 1,000.00 for 200 watts ? The rails are expensive as well as the installation. I've been running numbers for different situations and have a different reason for the solar industry's lack of steam. The last set of numbers I ran was for a 150,000 watt system that was going to cost over 900,000.00. The company that quoted this endeavor said I would get a payback in under 10 years. The actuality of it is this after removing the 30% tax credit from the numbers, because in order to get a 200K tax credit you must owe 200K in taxes, The payback was 15 years. There is no way I can get an investor to invest in something that takes 15 years to pay off. The solar industry's goal should be a 3 to 5 year return on investment. Make your industry want inverstors to invest. Make people want to buy your products. The government tax breaks and such are only gravy on a bad piece of meat. It may make the meat taste better, but you are still going to get sick from it. The obvious here is make it affordable and people will buy it whether it has a sales tax reduction or not. Why does an aluminum box with solar cells cost $ 1,000.00 for 200 watts ? The rails are expensive as well as the installation. I’ve been running numbers for different situations and have a different reason for the solar industry’s lack of steam. The last set of numbers I ran was for a 150,000 watt system that was going to cost over 900,000.00. The company that quoted this endeavor said I would get a payback in under 10 years. The actuality of it is this after removing the 30% tax credit from the numbers, because in order to get a 200K tax credit you must owe 200K in taxes, The payback was 15 years. There is no way I can get an investor to invest in something that takes 15 years to pay off. The solar industry’s goal should be a 3 to 5 year return on investment. Make your industry want inverstors to invest. Make people want to buy your products. The government tax breaks and such are only gravy on a bad piece of meat. It may make the meat taste better, but you are still going to get sick from it.

]]> http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2009/11/11/the-first-tennessee-solar-symposium/#comment-2 Jimmy Sunshine Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:36:29 +0000 http://blog.tnsolarenergy.org/2009/11/11/the-first-tennessee-solar-symposium/#comment-2 I believe that the state of Tennessee should eliminate the sales tax on solar, or at least, give solar the same reduction as the state gave the wind industry. The jobs that will be created, the income from influx of solar distributors, new manufacturing will completely swamp the loss in sales tax revenues. If we do nothing, then we will be importing solar products rather than manufacturing them. I believe that the state of Tennessee should eliminate the sales tax on solar, or at least, give solar the same reduction as the state gave the wind industry. The jobs that will be created, the income from influx of solar distributors, new manufacturing will completely swamp the loss in sales tax revenues. If we do nothing, then we will be importing solar products rather than manufacturing them.

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