Rooftop solar panels are becoming a common sight in South Miami, in part because of the efforts of one teen. Eighteen-year-old Miami native Delaney Reynolds is a freshman at the University of Miami. Two years ago, she learned that several cities in California have laws that mandate rooftop solar panels on new homes.
Reynolds: “I thought that that was an excellent idea for our state, especially because we’re the so-called sunshine state. I figured we have to make something like this here in south Florida.”
Reynolds sent a letter proposing the idea to almost a dozen mayors. South Miami’s Mayor Phillip Stoddard responded and offered to mentor her through the process of drafting the ordinance. Together, they reworked the California laws to fit local construction codes.
Last July, South Miami passed the ordinance, and it took effect in September. Now, any new homes built in the city – as well as major renovations – must include solar panels.
How one teenager got a city to pass new solar rules
So, because “We Care”™ we now are forcing to add several thousands of dollars extra in cost to new constructions or if you happen to need a new roof. Where we spend lots of power and therefore money in South Florida is in Air Conditioning. Our “winter” electrical bill without the AC running is a pittance compared with the rest of the year and we have a very efficient unit cooling the house. If you try to have enough solar panels to run your normal AC unit found in South Florida, you will be spending up to three times what you use in grid power.
And let us not forget that your insurance will go up because we have this recurrent events called Tropical Storms and Hurricanes that make their appearance occasionally in our areas.
But, hey! The Good Feels come first. And we get to be cool like California.
If solar power was so wonderful you wouldnt need a LAW to FORCE people to have to put them on….up here we have a bunch of touchy feely kiss a tree hug the ocean idiots. There are a couple solar “installers” that run around like they ass is on fire. Its ALL gubmint SUBSIDIZED….nice work if ya can get it.
Up here the sun comes out on Tuesday and if ya dont get yer ass up early ya miss it..
The “government subsidized” quip is common amongst anti-solar folks, but all fossil fuels (oil/gas/coal) have had subsidies for decades and decades. Why do folks fail to acknowledge that while knocking solar?
What subsidies? Could you quote some specifics, with amounts (percentages) preferably?
Here are just a few I found with some quick searches — you can easily find more:
“A new report shows that the US government provided about $6 billion annually in financial support to the oil, gas, and coal industries between 2013 and 2015. That’s over four times the amount that went to clean energy, which received $1.3 billion.” (from http://www.businessinsider.com/public-financing-oil-gas-coal-2017-7)
http://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/351728-federal-energy-subsidies-go-to-far-more-than-nuclear-and-coal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_subsidies#United_States
https://www.brookings.edu/research/eliminating-fossil-fuel-subsidies/
Also consider that, aside from lease/exploration/extraction costs, fossil fuels extracted from Federal lands/waters are essentially free to the energy firms. They’re getting the raw materials for pennies on the dollar.
How much did the oil, gas, and coal industries pay in taxes?
I’m quite pro-solar, but think mandates like these are a bad idea. I’d prefer laws/ordinances preventing HOAs from denying solar.
As for the cost issue, many folks present it as if the cost is entirely sunk until the electrical savings have equaled the cost of the system. However, real estate studies from 2005 to 2015 have shown that the market value of a house with solar increases nearly 1:1 to the cost of the solar installation. Think of it as you would a bathroom or kitchen remodel — that cost is not completely lost, but increases the value of your house.
And it’s thousands of dollars that comes 100% out of your pocket until you sell … which could be years or decades later. Even if the house value goes up, you’re still being forced to put a large sum into an – on average – underperforming investment when compared to long-term stock market averages, for instance.
And, as pointed out, insurance costs are likely to up. That’s an additional and ongoing expense that will hurt you every day following installation.
Sure, but if you install it voluntarily (not mandated as by this ordinance), why is it anybody’s business how long it takes someone to recoup the cost?
But that’s the point here–it’s not voluntary, it is mandated.
Like you, I’m totally in favor of it, if people want it. Nobody should be required to get it, though.
One of the problems with this solar panel stuff is that people without solar panels are paying for it. That’s because power companies are forced to pay for electricity fed back into the grid from panels at retail rates rather than wholesale. That means the cost of carrying electricity from home to grid is credited to the supplier in this case, rather than charged to him. So solar owners get to ship their electrons on someone else’s dime — those who don’t have panels. Since panel owners are likely to be more affluent on average, this is yet another example of lower income people subsidizing higher income ones. No real surprise, that’s a very common pattern among left wing schemes, though they don’t like to talk about it. (NPR is another good example.)
Net metering is not universally at retail rates, although some are. Additionally, every net metering agreement I know of requires a fee to pay for infrastructure. Can you point out a retail-rate net metering agreement without infrastructure fees?
IMO, it’s unrealistic and unethical for solar advocates to expect retail rates and no fees. Besides the infrastructure costs you mention, most people do not realize that electric companies (take Georgia Power, for example) are on the hook to be able to generate 100% of demand at the peak usage on the most strenuous day. If solar becomes significant for those utilities, solar owners must necessarily help support the generation requirements mandated against the power producers.