Photovoltaic systems are awesome... if I had the funds, I'm sure I would be right there with the rest of the folks setting up appointments with the local solar salesman, but I tend to know a thing or two that keeps me away from PV systems... besides not being able to afford it.
Would you ever go out and buy new tires and an alarm system for a car you that you don't have? How about a new surround sound system and DVD player for the TV that you don't seem to have?? What I'm trying to get at... is why spend thousands of dollars on a new photovoltaic system for your house if the rest of your house is an energy efficiency "nightmare". If your home isn't energy efficient you'll never truly see the rewards promised by that solar salesman when you spent those thousands of dollars.
I always tell people that solar panels are an expensive band-aid when the envelope of your home is like "Swiss cheese". By "Swiss cheese" I mean that your home is leaking energy due to poor insulation, bad windows, poor heating and cooling, and so on... just like the holes in Swiss cheese. How about a home energy audit to see how much energy you're consuming and where you're wasting it? How about switching your incandescent bulbs to CFLs? What about the instant savings you get when you spend the money and time on weatherizing your home with weather stripping, spray foam, and caulking?? There are so many things a homeowner can do to be more energy efficient, truly "green".
After a fun, lengthy discussion I actually saw the light bulb go on inside my family member's head... "why don't they tell you about these things when you're considering buying solar panels?", was one of the many questions I heard throughout our discussion. I had to explain that at the end of the day it's a business just like any other money making business, people are into making "green" off of people trying to be"green". It's a shame that people take advantage of those who are trying to do good for the environment and be more sustainable. These are the kinds of discussions we need to have with our families, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. The more we educate one another the better chances we have at doing good and doing things right. It really does take more than solar panels to be "green" in this ever changing world.
