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posted by cmn32480 on Saturday October 24 2015, @03:06PM   Printer-friendly
from the what-sunny-state-will-be-next dept.

The Center for American Progress reports

Solar power could soon be flourishing [in] the Sunshine State. [On October 22,] the Florida Supreme Court approved [PDF] an initiative for the 2016 ballot that would allow Floridians to vote to reduce the state's restrictions on rooftop solar power.

Although solar is growing exponentially nationwide, it has not thrived in Florida. Florida is one of a handful of states that prohibit residents from purchasing electricity from a source other than an electric utility. This has locked out third-party solar rooftop companies, such as SolarCity and SunRun, which install rooftop solar panels on a customer's property at no cost and sell solar-generated power to that customer at a reduced electric rate.

As ThinkProgress previously reported, a coalition of solar advocates called Floridians for Solar Choice has been leading the effort to change this policy by pursuing a ballot initiative to permit third-party financing for rooftop solar by private companies. To get the initiative on the ballot, Florida required the coalition to first collect 68,314 voter signatures and then have the initiative language approved by the state Supreme Court.

On [October 22], the ballot initiative cleared this major hurdle when the Florida Supreme Court approved the "Solar Choice Amendment" for the November 2016 ballot. Advocates now have to collect the requisite 683,149 signatures to ensure the initiative goes on the ballot. It will then have to pass with 60 percent of the vote in 2016.

[...] In 2008, the Florida [Public Service Commission--the state body responsible for regulating electricity--]released a report saying that rooftop solar alone had the potential to generate nearly 100 times [the current 530 MW derived from renewables in Florida]. [PDF]

Meanwhile, "public servant" Pam Bondi, Florida's Attorney General, continues to fight on multiple fronts to block renewables.


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  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 24 2015, @05:03PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 24 2015, @05:03PM (#254029)

    Pay-back time depends on electricity prices. historically methinks that they tend to go up.

    where i live 70% of electricity is generated by burning cheap gas.
    gas is at a low but one can assume that it will not last, 400 $ per megaton something to 800 $

    a realistic doubling of gas prices will have a effect of
    electricity prices going up 58%. (weeh math, lol)

    it also means that a doubling of gas prices will shorten
    solar investment payback time by 58%.
    example:
    10 years payback time, then doubling of gas prices will
    give payback time of ~5 years.

    ofc there is the "danger" that solar is suppressed long enough that
    nuclear gets a foothold again after gas prices have doubled to keep
    electricity prices down and to have a happy ICBM sub-marine fleet ^_^

    it is true that the inverters are a big investment and if they fail (after
    warranty time which mostly before payback time has elapsed) they are costly
    to replace.

    however there is the alternative route via micro-inverters:
    a single-central 3 kW inverter setup requires a "substantial" initial
    investment.
    with micro-inverters, each panel gets it own single inverter. these "sets" can be bought
    incrementally.
    today buy one panel and one inverter. tomorrow another and maybe if you don't
    like or need the fruity phone-i 7 in 9 months time then use the monies to buy another panel
    and micro-inverter.
    or maybe you see a special offer for a panel, 20% off, or a break thru in efficiency ...

    micro-inverter cost more per W then single central inverters, but they historically tend
    to last longer mostly owing to not needing electrolytic capacitors.
    MTBF for (non airborne) micro-inverters is quoted as 100 years ... the proof is, of course, on-going ^_^

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  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday October 24 2015, @08:28PM

    by frojack (1554) on Saturday October 24 2015, @08:28PM (#254094) Journal

    10 years payback time, then doubling of gas prices will
    give payback time of ~5 years.

    Its seldom that clear.

    Price of solar may well fall substantially before gas prices double. Your payback could fall to 2 years.
    Price of solar may well go up, and demand taxes supply, and prices are bid up. Your payback could increase to 15 years.

    Prices often rise to be just under the next closest alternative. This happens less with more competition, but with so many
    of the solar panels coming from so few suppliers, and so many big installers getting into the market and buying out
    the smaller ones you can expect prices to rise without direct linkage to costs.

    This latter situation is what I fear happening if these Your-Roof, Our-Electricity schemes catch on. We could end up
    with a Comcast of Roof-top Solar situation. I'm not convinced this is the best way to go, even if gewg_ thinks its
    a victory for the common man.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 24 2015, @09:44PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 24 2015, @09:44PM (#254121)

      good point. in my 70% gas electricity country they are trying to get privat people to invest into a land based solarfarm but only if a "goverment" entity is involved .. for example a university because government entity is forbidden by law to do it all by themselfs... i do all the work and then get a permission from government to sell the electricity ... with revenue sharing ...crazy