Diane Cardwell reports on the creative ways in which solar installers are taking advantage of government subsidies, creative financing, and cheap Chinese-made panels to make solar power accessible to the mass market.
With the number of residential and commercial solar installations more than doubling over the last two years, it seems as though solar power installation companies have found the right blend of economics and marketing to beging to penetrate the mass market. While the manufacturing side of the industry in the United States has struggled, due mainly to competition from Chinese firms, "Major players in the installation business, like SolarCity, Sunrun and Sungevity, are thriving," writes Cardwell.
"The structure of the deals varies by company and state, but the overall
approach is generally the same: Customers agree to pay a fixed monthly
charge or rate for all the solar power produced, and the companies that
finance the systems pay for the installation and take the value of any
tax breaks or renewable energy credits for which the customer would
ordinarily be eligible. Some companies concentrate on financing and use
local contractors for sales and installation, while others do everything
themselves."
"Through such arrangements, industry executives say, customers can lower
their power bills, escape the uncertainty of fluctuating energy costs,
and avoid the complex bureaucracy of federal and local credits, rebates,
grants and tax breaks."

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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