Misleading Analysis Promotes Cost Ineffectiveness
David Magnus Boonin is president and founder of TBG Consulting. He served as a member of the Philadelphia Gas Commission, chief economist of the Pennsylvania PUC and a principal at the NRRI. Recently he has focused on issues such as rate design, resource planning, cost management, and climate change.
uyer beware! With distributed generation becoming more affordable and utility customers able to shop for energy in many jurisdictions, energy consumers have more choices than ever before. Choices can be empowering and overwhelming.
For years, I have explored the installing of solar panels on my home. I periodically have a solar assessment done, recognizing declining cost and increasing efficiency of solar panels, and changes in tax credits, renewable energy credits (RECs), and utility/competitive energy prices all effect solar cost effectiveness.
Respecting everyone's time, I identify myself to solar sales reps as an expert in the field of utility policy and planning and let them know that I have been previously assessed, sharing the general result. Many thank me and move on.
Some do an assessment and tell me that I am not a good candidate because of issues such as the orientation or slope of my roofs or shade from trees.
This has been disappointing. As I am concerned about my family's carbon footprint, I purchase all my electricity from a green power provider, so that whether or not I install solar panels, I am doing something positive regarding my electricity's source, even if it costs a bit more than the cheaper options on the electricity market.