The U.S. Department of Energy has been given a mission of
reducing fossil fuel dependence and pollution in the country.
Its answer is the Million Solar Roof Initiative.
Million Solar Roof Initiative - U.S. Department of Energy
For the past 20 years, the Department of Energy has been trying
to motivate private industry to go solar. This motivation,
however, has primarily been in the form of providing free
education on solar platforms and how to install them on homes,
buildings and power plants. As you might imagine, private
industry has been less than enthusiastic about such efforts, but
all of that is starting to change.
Congress funds the Department of Energy and Congress is unhappy
with the state of alternative energy sources. Further, the
federal political monster is also starting to react to all the
heat being generated internationally by our massive production
of greenhouse gases. In reaction, the proverbial whip has been
laid to the Department of Energy and renewable energy is the hot
subject.
Greenhouse gases are produced by fossil fuels. The gases rise
into the atmosphere and effectively act as insulation, which
heats up the Earth. Rising temperatures are now melting glaciers
throughout the world and are expected to start melting the polar
ice caps. As this occurs, water levels will rise around the
world and climatic changes are expected to be harsh. It is
expected that the past hurricane season will be the least of our
problems.
In pursing the Million Solar Roofs Initiative, the Department of
Energy hopes to reduce the production of greenhouse gases. If a
million solar platforms are put up, the pollutant savings will
be equivalent to the emissions produced by over 800,000 cars
each year.
To make the Million Solar Roofs Initiative viable, there has to
be an economic component. Now there is. Congress has issued
large tax credits for businesses and individuals that go solar.
Rebate programs have also been initiated to help reduce the cost
of purchasing a solar platform. Indeed, California just went
forward with a 3.2 billion dollar rebate program on it's own.
Finally, the federal government is now providing solar platform
loans as part of mortgage packages through entities such as
Fannie Mae and FHA. Throw in concepts like net metering [selling
power to utilities from your home or business], and going solar
has never made so much sense.
After years of playing lip service to non-fossil fuel energy,
the federal government finally is getting serious about the
proposition. The Million Solar Roofs Initiative is one such
step.
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