Solar industry leaders, in partnership with ASES (the American Solar Energy Society) are taking on the biggest cost hurdle for solar power the paperwork and red tape that doubles installation costs by establishing Solar Freedom Now (SFN). The organizations goal is to make it as easy and fast to install rooftop solar panels as it is to install a satellite TV dish.
Panel costs have plummeted, but installations are still expensive
Solar systems cost twice as much in the U.S. compared to Germany, said SFN founder Barry Cinnamon (see: Cut the Price of Solar in Half at Forbes.com). Studies by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and by the University of California, Berkeley both confirm that these higher prices are almost exclusively related to the paperwork it takes to "officially" install a standard rooftop system in the U.S. This red tape is holding back the industry from creating even more jobs, driving innovation, and building true energy security for our nation, said Cinnamon.
It takes only days to install a system in Germany compared to months in the U.S, noted co-founder Ron Kenedi. I can tell you from personal experience — as well as 30 years in the solar industry — that we can install safe, code-compliant systems here in the U.S. just as fast as they do in Germany. All the extra time, paperwork and inspections simply add to the installed cost of our systems. We are very pleased to partner with ASES, which has been working effectively at the grass roots level for decades on critical solar issues like this, said Kenedi.
A national approach to paperwork and red tape is required
With 18,000 cities, 3,000 utilities and 50 states all setting their own rules and procedures for solar installations, we absolutely need a national approach to eliminating this paperwork and red tape, said Susan Greene, President of ASES. ASESs campaign with Solar Freedom Now is targeted towards solving this problem in every state, city and utility across the U.S, said Greene.
Changes like this start at the grass roots level, and Solar Freedom Nows first goal is to generate wide spread support for eliminating burdensome paperwork and red tape. For almost 60 years, ASES has been working to promote safe, affordable solar energy. We see Solar Freedom Now as the best path forward to reduce these stubbornly high installation costs, said Greene.
Stop by the ASES booth #3760 at Solar Power International 2012 to sign up as a supporter and to get more information about Solar Freedom Now. You can also sign up at www.solarfreedomnow.org or Facebook at Solar Freedom.
