SOLAR UPDATE

Since the installation of our solar electrical generating system in mid March, we've received 2 monthly bills from UniSource, the electric utility company. The system was designed to generate approx. the same amount of electricity that we typically use, based on a years worth of utility bills. Simply put, the solar panels are supposed to put the same amount of electricity that we use, back into the grid. The result as specified in the contract, is that we only pay the usual taxes and fees that nobody understands. Those fees typically are around $8 a month.

At first, I was a bit skeptical, but with most everything in writing, I only had to decide if it was worth the initial capitol investment of a little over $9,000. Based on our electrical usage, the pure return on investment would be in the neighborhood of 8 years. But, I kind of looked at it a little differently. That $9,000 was sitting in a money market account earning 1.3% interest, and now, even though solar panels have replaced the cash, we're now earning just under 10% on that 9 grand, by way of no monthly utility bill.

The last two monthly electric utility bills have been $8, and some change. So far, the Chance Solar Utility Company has a heck of a lot better track record than Solyndra. The Feds would have done much more in the way of stimulating our pitiful economy, if they would have taken that half billion dollars that they lost to Solyndra, and invested it in residential solar systems. I just did the math, and based on the cost of our system, that 500 million of taxpayer money, that went out the window, would have put over 50,000 solar systems on American homes! That sounds like a better investment in renewable energy, and a better step toward reducing our dependency on foreign oil, than the Solyndra debacle. But, I should know better. My definition of fiscal responsibility, and the expenditure of taxpayer dollars, never matches the so called wisdom of our politicians in Washington.