Solar Panelling made mandatory?

Come on now we all know the Gov. wants you to spend all your money. But I like your way of thinking.

I have been working and adding on my panels for about ten years and each year I add on to them. This year I will be adding 3 more panels and at lest 2000 ah of battery's.

IT will take about four years for pay off. I have 900 watts of panels at this time..

My Electric bill when I got this house 10 years ago run $175 per month. With the panels it runs as low as $12 and in the winter $85. the panels I get run around $200 each the battery's are $65 each at most. But then we recycle tin and aluminum cans that pay for the battery's.

A solar hot water heater makes sense if you're in a warm climate. There are water heating panels that can tolerate a hard freeze, but obviously, they won't produce under such conditions. If replacing an electric water heater, a solar water heater can pay for itself in just a few years. It will probably have paid for itself in 5 years. Given the trouble to remove it, and the relatively low cost (maybe $3000), you would typically leave it on the house if you sell. It would increase the value of the house for buyers. I think you can also call it a capital improvement, and add it to the basis of your house when you sell.

Well, let's see. According to the solar website I just looked at, it would cost approximately $43,000 + installation cost to get a system that would power my house where I live. (using their sample data). My monthly power bill (electric + gas) is $200 or $2,400 per year. That would be just under 18 years to pay off the initial investment. BUT that $200 per month is gas AND electric. Just to be generous, let's say that 75% is for the electric. That would make my annual electric cost $2,100 with a payoff time of about 20.4 years. (this is assuming free installation). Now, power costs are not static and that 20 years would be reduced depending on how much power cost rises over time, still this is a far cry from your claim of 8 years.

It would be pretty cool to have a completely solar powered home but I just don't see the cost being justified right now.

I personally think it would be amazing. As soon as we get out of this stupid war, maybe the government can put our tax money toward this, at least it would be effective. And isn't America to be the most advanced country (I personally believe it isn't)? WE should start a revolution. I'm trying, but being young, there's not much I can do. I propose a new hippie movement! I think that instead of long, we should do short hair. I'm personally cutting it about 3 inches long with rainbow tips. Just get out of bed, mess it up, ready to go! Anyway, I think you are completely right. It would cost more, but it would be better for everyone in the end. It should at least be mandatory in newly build buildings.

Another way to get everyone use clean energy is to make industries/people pay for the CO2 they emit. Then there will be a greater enthusiasm for a move towards solar panels and other clean energy sources since any fossil fuel guzzling equipment (including coal power plants and automobiles using gasoline) will be paying more to use them.

The cap and trade system for CO2 might do it. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emissions_trading)

The only way they could make it mandatory is if the gov. paid for it. Honestly do you think everyone can afford to go put solar panels on their house?

The amount of water on the planet is going to remain constant, always. On another note, solar panelling is definately not something that can be enforced or afforded. THEY SHOULD BE DOING MORE ABOUT MAKING NUCLEAR PLANTS! THEY ARE 10,000 TIMES MORE EFFECTIVE!

Well let's see, health care is mandated so what would keep the government from mandating solar?

If they were really such a good value, mandates would not be necessary. Mandates and subsides only serve to perpetuate waste and failure.