How the Don Quixote Principle Drives Solar

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feature-0-1407188583990.jpg For decades the photovoltaic industry has been driven by its beliefs, hopes, the availability of incentives, and what it is willing to ignore in terms of market realities and technological barriers. The apparent achievement of grid parity, even at drastically low margins, was hailed a victory. Continued deployment of multi-megawatt installations in the face of low margins for developers and likely gigawatts of poor quality installations has been regarded as proof of the inevitability of the industry’s success.

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  • solarix
    solarix Solar Expert Posts: 713 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: How the Don Quixote Principle Drives Solar

    Another typical Paula Mints article where she thinks the solar industry ought to somehow up its pricing and compete with its "dirty fuel" competitors based on solar being a "high quality" fuel. Good luck with that. My customers like solar - but it has to make sense in dollars & cents before they will "get off the dime". I agree solar prices are about as low as I can imagine, and it has to be hard on manufacturers, but unless we see a carbon tax, or pollution tax on the coal industries so the competition has to raise prices, or a non-tax-credit form of incentive, we need to continue to work to bring down our prices. My vote? - implement solar registration instead of permits.
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  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: How the Don Quixote Principle Drives Solar
    solarix wrote: »
    My vote? - implement solar registration instead of permits.

    What is solar registration? --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
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  • solarix
    solarix Solar Expert Posts: 713 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: How the Don Quixote Principle Drives Solar

    Last year or so, Vermont changed its permitting requirements to favor grid-tied solar by eliminating permits altogether! You build your system then fill out a one-page form registering your system with the Utility. I assume there are some interconnect requirements by the utility, but dispensing with the building dept hassle must be wonderful.
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  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: How the Don Quixote Principle Drives Solar
    solarix wrote: »
    Last year or so, Vermont changed its permitting requirements to favor grid-tied solar by eliminating permits altogether! You build your system then fill out a one-page form registering your system with the Utility. I assume there are some interconnect requirements by the utility, but dispensing with the building dept hassle must be wonderful.

    Not only that, but the assessors are not allowed to include the value of the solar power system in the property tax assessment.

    In my case, being off grid actually reduces the value of my property for the purpose of property tax 8)

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
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