Renewable Reality Hits Home

We're discovering that the "green energy initiatives" are not cheap and may not be all that. This has been a painful process of selection since many "incentives" sound really supportive and like they would make the investment worthwhile. . .from a tax viewpoint and an energy saving one. In reality, they are often a come-on in both categories. Realizing that the return may not be realized before the system has to be upgraded or replaced does not really make solar hot water a viable system for a 2 person household. With a $12,000 upfront investment, it may not make financial sense to many people, either. With only a 15%-18% savings on the electric bill, the payback is well over 20 years, even with the paltry tax incentives, without considering the embodied energy required to produce the system or maintain it. The energy company (at least in NC where we live) does not seem to know much about its own program and the "financing" for home energy improvements, they are really supplied by 3rd party financiers (like banks) and the selection of "approved contractors" in our area is quite limited (like one). Banks are not really supporting it as a home "improvement" generating equity but rather than a depreciating issue which limits their willingness to back it as a loan asset.
This is one of the issues that killed the solar industry in the 1970's. Evidently, no lessons were learned back then and the consumer continues to bear the brunt of energy alternative exploration and support. The little guy taking the risks may not be so eager in these difficult financial times and, so, energy remains the purview of the energy companies. Even trying to "sell back" the excess energy only generates about half of what we continue to be required to pay (depending on how progressive your area is). It's discouraging us but we aren't giving up yet. We'll continue to report on our latest research because we're really committed to finding active ways to conserve energy.