Further refinement on Cam's and Robin's excellent idea: 1. Let's not forget solar hot water(40% efficient vs. current 13% efficient for solar electric). Also, remember that solar thermal/solar hot water will offset natural gas, and we know where prices are going for that fossil fuel.
2. The timing is good for promoting solar, and any program would be leveraged by other recently passed policies -- the federal government just passed a 30% residential tax credit for solar, and at the state level, this year the Green Institute sucessfully championed a sales tax exemption for both solar electric and solar thermal, with virtually unanimous support, and interest in doing more in future sessions. 3. Any proposal for solar residential generation should complement those efforts with aggressive energy efficiency measures as well. Dollar for dollar, energy efficiency efforts will kick butt over solar (at solar's current prices) in reducing fossil fuel/nuclear energy usage and save homeowners more money on their energy bills. For example, in the last 6 months the Phillips Community Energy Cooperative, on a relatively modest budget, will save Phillips residents over 175,000 kilowatthours (about $15K/year) through their energy efficiency -- that's $15K they will save every year. --Carl Nelson Standish (home) & Phillips (as Green Institute community energy director) -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Diane Wiley Sent: Friday, August 12, 2005 2:21 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Minneapolis Issues Forum Subject: Re: [Mpls] solar subsidies what a great idea! I'd do it in a heart beat. what's stopping the city from doing this? diane wiley in tangletown wishing she had the money to install photov's right now ----- Original Message ----- From: "flewn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, August 12, 2005 11:16 AM Subject: [Mpls] solar subsidies ... > Zero-interest micro-loans from the city of Minneapolis (or a fund run by the city) to homeowners, landlords and small business owners to install photovoltaics on their roofs. Use a formula to calculate the dollars saved on each month's electrical bill (since electricity generated on the roof of one's property is electricity not purchased from Xcel), and tack that amount on to the property tax bill of the property owner, as repayment of the loan. > REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
