Idea for rolling out renewables - please tell me what you think

[Indenturedebtor]

Having two thoughts roll around in my head, they sort of bumped into each other.

1) Why doesn't the government loan it's citizens money for housing... why does it have to do it through Fannie Mae etc.

2) If people could reasonably finance a solar/wind system many more would take advantage.

So if the average solar power system costs about 25k-50k why not set up a solar power lending branch? Whichever "company" administered it could be paid 1% on each loan (to shut up the "PRIVATISE EVERYTHING" crowd), and the government could set say a 2% interest rate - the profits of which could be invested in electrical grid upgrades which would facilitate selling power back into the grid.

Now obviously the math could be tweaked here but using just a standard morgage calculator - a 40k solar system financed at 3% over 20 years (systems are supposed to last 25) would be:

Result:
Monthly payment: 20 Years
Interest rate: 3.000%
Loan amount: $ 40,000.00
$ 221.84 a month

------------------

Now of course with more widespread use driving the cost of systems down, and efficiency up, AND being able to feed electricity back into the grid (because of the upgraded infrastructure), electrical bills would as WORST be about the same as they are here in Arizona where we have relatively cheap rates. Average household usage over 12 months is about 115 dollars a month, and it certainly won't be going down over the years.

What do you folks think?

[Indenturedebtor]

1. Kick. No thoughts anyone? Heard this before? Please post link or tell me I'm stupid

[Bob Dobbs]

2. The answer to #1

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created so that the banks could free up more money for higher profit products.

#2 sounds good to me. If the solar installation can supply all of the power needs and have surplus to send back to the grid, then it is a good deal.

[Indenturedebtor]

3. Thank you for responding. I'm very excited at the idea

I'm thinking there must be some obvious downside that i'm missing based on the near total lack of interest :(

Maybe I can get my wife to pretend to be interested when she gets home.

[Bob Dobbs]

4. Your idea is what government SHOULD have been doing for 30 years.

We'd be in great shape if we had just listened to Jimmy Carter.

I guess people are just too brain damaged by decades of carpet propagandizing to understand the wisdom of your plan.

[ladjf]

5. Workable suggestions. The oil,coal and nuclear energy companies

are controlling the Government energy policy. Kick them out and we could move forward with an aggressive alternate energy program.

[Indenturedebtor]

6. How do we do that though? Sometimes I think that the BEST we can hope for

Is for them to be forced/incentivised into switching over. These rabid oligarchial monkeys have been on our backs for centuries.

[roody]

7. The bulk of the quoted price for a solar system

is labor. Do it yourselfers can do it for much less. Most of it is simple installation. Get a professional to do the electrical work.
40K seems extremely high. I paid 15K seven years ago and got back about 7K in rebates and tax credits.

[ColbertWatcher]

8. Interesting idea.

Just don't forget that once this becomes the "norm" there will be improvements to the existing system.

We will be seeing 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation innovations.

Just like we did with computers and VCRs (Remember those? The basic idea behind them has been improved so much, they're now obsolete.)

Thank you for posting this.

[Indenturedebtor]

9. Thanks! I hope we get to that "critical cost threshold" soon

It seems as though our Gov't is unwilling to really push for home based power... I'm sure they want some megacorp to control the whole power structure forever. I wish they'd throw some incentives at PEOPLE instead of just Rich Pigs.

Can you imagine what it would be like if we all controlled our own electricity production? No more gasoline, no more shady power bills... almost no more CO2 emissions!?!?!

Man it's so close I can taste it. All we need is a little leg up!

[ColbertWatcher]

10. They're never going to give up their stanglehold so easily, but...

...who cares what "energy corporations" want?

They showed they didn't care one whit about us when we were struggling.

I say, evolve or die.