Subject: Solar Energy for your Home?

From: [email-masked] (Derwood856)
Date: 14 Oct 1996 10:41:31 -0400

I am interested in solar heat collectors and photovoltiac devices for the
home.
So far all I have found out is that they are not quite ready for home use.
 Sandia National labs has a few success stories but they are remote
locations so far away from the grid that the cost of connecting them to it
is hight than the 10 to 20 thousand dollar price of a photovoltiac system.

The solar heat collectors are cheeper but when the cost of maintaince is
figuered  you will be lucky if you break even on the deal.

There used to be some sore of tax credit for solar energy devices but that
was repeeled? Why?

does anybody have a success story?  What happened to goverment tax breaks?

Darin : )

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From: Garry Symes <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 1996 20:20:35 +0100

In article <[email-masked]>, Derwood856
<[email-masked]> writes
>does anybody have a success story?  What happened to goverment tax breaks?

I use Solar panels to preheat the water before it goes to the hot water
tank. Saved 50 uk pounds the first bill. I have put the panel at a high
angle so that it collects efficiently from the winter and morning sun.
-- 
Garry Symes

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From: [email-masked] (Dave Wood)
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 96 15:15:04 GMT

>does anybody have a success story?  What happened to goverment tax breaks?

RE: tax breaks. My guess is that once the 1970's oil crisis was over, the 
solar heater tax breaks (which were temporary) were allowed to expire due
to political irrelevance - energy was cheap again and no-one cared except the
small solar heater industry.. My personal thoughts are that a temporary tax
break for a new technology/business is OK but perpetual subsidy of non-
competitive technologies is not in the best interests of society or 
our government.

-Dave

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 17:50:33 -0400

> competitive technologies is not in the best interests of society or

I agree wholeheartedly. Why then do we spend 
billions protecting foreign oil fields? Or cleaning 
up exxon's mess? Or reimbursing oil companies for 
exploratory wells that dont pan out? Theyve had a 
hundred years of subsidies. Its time they stood on 
their own.

Dan