| In the United States many are looking to reduce their | | | | $200,000 to convert a house like this into a house |
| carbon footprint and looking towards solar energy as | | | | that could run independently on solar energy using |
| a means to provide power to their home. This can | | | | retrofit products and commercial installers. In addition, |
| be an expensive proposition. | | | | if the roof is too small, or faces the wrong way and |
| When the economists look at costs they look at | | | | cannot absorb enough sunlight, it may not even be |
| dollars spent and intangible benefits. So when | | | | possible to make this kind of retrofit work. |
| calculating the cost of solar energy one needs to | | | | While you may be able to purchase a few piece meal |
| look at the dollar costs in addition to the positive | | | | solar energy products, those would not give you |
| effects it has on one's peace of mind and lifestyle. In | | | | serious energy independence. If you really wanted in |
| other words, if an individual spends a large amount of | | | | energy independent house it would cost you just as |
| capital on initial investment that will not be realized for | | | | much to build it from the ground up than to retrofit |
| 10 to 15 years it may be seen as an unwise | | | | what you already have. |
| investment. However, if that user of solar energy | | | | The cost of solar energy is so high because there is |
| gets so much benefit by feeling good about their | | | | still very little competition to drive down prices. In |
| purchase because it reduces their carbon footprint, | | | | addition, many critics of the government find the |
| that is an intangible benefit that makes the | | | | current regulations that do not allow homeowners to |
| investment worthwhile. | | | | install their own systems are too restrictive. While |
| Let's look at actual costs for solar energy. Using a | | | | there are rebates for purchases of solar equipment, |
| study on solar homes, we see that a typical house in | | | | many feel they do not overcome the restrictions. |
| the Northeast has a total energy bill of approximately | | | | Critics feel that our government is still in the pocket |
| $3500 a year and uses about $2000 for heating and | | | | of large fossil fuel oil corporations and is not taking |
| hot water, with the remaining $1500 going toward | | | | enough initiative to lead the way in promoting the |
| electricity. | | | | use of solar energy. |
| It would typically cost between $100,000 and | | | | |