Revenue-neutral emission reduction for cities

What if there were more Berkeleys?

Posted by David Roberts at 5:44 PM on 29 Oct 2007

Read more about: energy | solar voltaic power | California | renewable energy

Imagine if more cities started doing this -- neutralizing the upfront costs of solar. It would stimulate competition and innovation in the solar industry (more than there already are). Pretty soon there would be large economies of scale for solar power and the price would drop (faster than it already is). More cities would be lured into the program, stimulating yet more innovation and lower prices. So on and so on, the cycle of smart long-term investment. Tell me again why we think tackling global warming has to be expensive?

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we are not alone

Please remember that Japan, Germany, and other wealthy countries have for many years offered very generous subsidies and incentives specifically targeting solar power. It's a particularly parochial perspective to suggest that clever financing by Berkeley and other cities in the United States would somehow bring forth a magical virtuous cycle of technical innovation. In some cases government supports can help foster healthy innovation. That is probably the case for solar to some extent. (For corn-based ethanol it's a potential disaster on many levels.)

"What will those hippies think of next?" Perhaps being truly innovative - instead of picking a sexy technology to support (mimicking the behavior of others), why not auction off limited subsidy dollars in exchange for avoided greenhouse gas emissions regardless of technology?

by drocto at 11:12 PM on 29 Oct 2007

Drocto,

... why not auction off limited subsidy dollars in exchange for avoided greenhouse gas emissions regardless of technology?

OK! I admit it. Your fantasy pony policy is better than my actually existing incremental policy. I defer to you as the more Serious Individual.

grist.org

by David Roberts at 11:17 PM on 29 Oct 2007

Solar or just PV

It is common ignorance to think only PV is solar. I didn't see mention of solar water heaters, space heating or pool heaters.
Solar thermal has a much better ROI. The energy required for water and space heating in a home is a large portion of the total energy use.
Soon you will be able to create electricity with solar thermal in your own home. The technology is out there. Scaterred a bit.
Solar heaters
Thermal storage
Stirling engines
Generators
Inverters
Phase sinc

by solar greg at 6:31 AM on 30 Oct 2007

Golden gate

The bridge channel is one of the best sites for underwater turbines.

This plan with a 20 year payback period on solar PV from property taxes could be funded by revenues from an energy farm on the ocean floor.

Municipalties in the area could get together to fund it with long term, tax free bond issues. Electric power revenues would pay for the project itself and yield enough extra cash to subsidize PV installation.

Of course solar water heating should be funded too. The best way to do both would be to provide extra funds for kwh saved with solar water heating. And fund cooling systems that work with ocean water cooling in this region. Solar cogeneration of hot water and electricity and conservation with geothermal heat exchange.

This all deserves the subsidies that now go to fossil, nuclear, and fuel farming corporations.

Make the initial loasns to cities to get this all going from a fund that taps corporate welfare. Oil companies and coal companies do not need welfare payments from taxpayers.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 7:30 AM on 30 Oct 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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