Comment on Why Balcony Solar Panels Haven’t Taken Off in the US
Dekkia@this.doesnotcut.it 2 weeks agoI think you’re comparing apples to oranges.
The main selling point for a “Balkonkraftwerk” is that it’s cheap and doesn’t require an electrician to install.
That way they pay off rather quickly and result in a lower electricity bill when you look at a span of 10-15 Years.
Solar farms in Spain on the other hand require massive investments in Infrastructure and the farms themselves. Not to say they’re a bad idea, but it’s a very different thing.
tal@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
In the US, a lot of problems have arisen around solar installation companies providing loans using questionable, if not outright fraudulent sales tactics based around misrepresenting returns.
time.com/…/rooftop-solar-industry-collapse/
Companies running solar farms, on the other hand, have bean-counters in place who are in a legitimate position to run the numbers, and take on the risk themselves.
roofuskit@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
While I agree with your sentiment, I’m not sure the cell tower is a good comparison. Very few if any cell towers are installed on a residential roof. Leasing part of your plot of land or space on a commercial or multi unit building is a completely different problem than giving a company rights to part of a frame residential home. Who maintains the roof? Who insures the roof? What insurance company will write that policy? It’s already getting more complicated to insure rooftop solar because claims are climbing. Now you’ve got a roof leased to someone else with solar panels on it? Seems to me like any commercial venture would skip all that and go straight to buying or leasing land. Land with no homes. This is the US after all, we have plenty of that laying around.
Dekkia@this.doesnotcut.it 2 weeks ago
The whole argument is that you need neither a loan or a professional installer for a Balkonkraftwerk. Your’re completely missing the point.