Is Solar Power Worth It?

It sounds so good
Solar power is a great thing. Harnessing the free energy from the Sun is a fantastic idea. Why pay for fossil fuels when the Sun is free! It all sounds so good. So why aren't we all basking in this free energy?

Cost is still prohibitive for most
Very unfortunately, for the vast majority of us the cost is prohibitive. If I had the money to make an environmental statement and feel better about my foot print I would be all over it. But like most of you, I am not wealthy enough to do things that don't make economic sense. I've done the math and for my specific case, here in Texas, I would spend about $14,000 after rebates to save about $800/yr on my electric bill. Darn, darn, darn, if only...   So I would be looking at a 15 year payoff at least, factoring in a modest increase in the cost of energy.

If it were so good...
You know that old saying, if it is too good to be true it probably is. Similarly, if solar powering your home was such a great money savings machine then we would all be doing it.

More government involvement and rebates? One word: Solyndra
Let's please not repeat this mistake. The government really sucks at picking winners and losers. I would like free markets to do that.Let's not remove the incentive for people to innovate and come up with something that brings down cost.

Need innovation to bring down costs - Think LCD TVs ~5 yrs ago.
The answer for me is innovation. About 5 yrs ago or so I paid about $2,300 for a 32 inch Sony LCD TV. Now those same TVs run about $300. If we can bring solar panels down by the same factor I would run, not walk, to the nearest solar installation company.

The Government actually stifles innovation by offering rebates to keep people doing the same thing that they have always been doing. And rebates are not free, someone is paying for them. The government does not have any money, they use, or misuse, our money. Where is the incentive of private individuals to invest when the government steps in and supports us buying this over-priced technology. Innovate man, innovate. The government helps sometimes but a lot of what they do falls flat.