New Jersey has been a leader in solar, but because of tough economic times, the Governor has thrown solar under the bus. The New Jersey governor has diverted some $400 million in clean energy programs to balance the state’s budget. This financing of course puts the solar installer at risk if there are delays in receiving the rebates. What happens when the rebates are in jeopardy? Two words spring to mind: panic and chaos—which is exactly what is happening in New Jersey today. New Jersey has temporarily suspended the solar rebate program and has announced that it will not take any further applications until September. If you are a small installer paying your labor and equipment with the expectation that you will receive the rebates in a timely manner, this announcement must have produced uncertainty at best and panic at worst. This move seems to be pound wise and penny foolish as no doubt the solar installers will have to lay off some of their workers and wait until the rebates become available in September—just as the economy is beginning to recover.
Posts Tagged ‘Solar Energy Systems’
Economics Trump Environment in New Jersey
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010That Big Ugly Box on Your Roof
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and may be an acquired taste, especially when it comes to solar modules. I was at a solar energy conference last week and one of the other lunch guests at my table referred to the solar panels that you may put on your roof as those “big ugly boxes on your roof.” And this was a conference on solar energy, not a Texas rodeo. It reinforced the notion that there are two major impediments for homeowners to the adoption of home solar panels: finances and beauty.
Spring is in the Air and Solar is in the Backyard
Friday, March 19th, 2010Spring is in the air in Washington, DC after a long winter of snow and blizzards. People have finally retrieved their snowbound cars and are back jogging in the park and tending their gardens. This is the perfect time to think about taking solar outdoors. As the weather is getting better, we are getting a lot of inquiries about how to size your solar RV kit or your marine solar kit. Like sizing other solar energy systems, it all depends on what your energy needs are—not on how big your RV or boat is, but how much energy you need on your RV or boat. You need to know what your energy usage is before you purchase a solar RV kit or marine solar kit. Whatever solar energy system you use on your boat or RV, one thing is for sure, you are going to enjoy it much more than if you had to listen to a noisy generator as you are trying to enjoy and appreciate the outdoors.
Solar Towns All Over America
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009OK, the residential solar market did not exactly explode in 2009 as many had hoped in 2008 when the price of oil was approaching $150 a barrel. The world economic crisis, lack of financing, cheap oil, constrained governmental budgets all contributed to a less than lackluster year as measured by the expectations that were set in a rosier time a year earlier. Nevertheless, there are some bright spots and probably the brightest of them all is that as prices for solar panels have come down, and the landscape for economic incentives has stabilized, the solar industry has hit mainstream and more importantly, Main Street.