Solar Is Just Getting Started
These days, it seems like solar panels are appearing up everywhere, and as a solar installer, you’ve probably noticed a shift in your overall client demographic. Solar energy was once a pet cause of dedicated environmentalists and solar-savvy Hollywood celebrities who were willing to pay for the privilege of reducing their own ecological footprint.
But now, solar’s adopters come from all walks of life; it’s still as popular as ever among the green crowd, but cost-conscious consumers are jumping on the bandwagon as well. In many markets, going solar allows energy clients to save substantial sums of money, and solar leasing programs and PPAs have put solar arrays within reach for folks who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford them.
Utilities Aren’t So Sure About Solar
However, the incumbent utilities’ reaction to solar’s unprecedented growth has been less enthusiastic. Many old-guard power producers have allied in staunch opposition to the energy policies that have made solar a feasible option for the rank and file.
Alliant Is Leading the Way
That being said, some utilities have taken a more pragmatic approach to dealing with solar energy’s exponential growth. Case in point: Wisconsin’s Alliant Energy.
In collaboration with Palo Alto, California’s Electric Power Research Institute, the Wisconsin utility recently commenced a study aimed at better understanding solar energy’s potential in cold-weather climates. They couldn’t have chosen a better proving ground: Madison, Wisconsin is as famous for its frigid winters as it is for its delicious cheese.
Forget the Snow! We’re Going Solar
The initial phase of the project will cost an estimated $5 million and will incorporate ground-level solar panels and solar trees, solar parking canopies, electric vehicle charging stations, and solar picnic tables that will allow Alliant employees to charge their electronic devices while enjoying the great outdoors.
A Ray of Sunshine on a Cloudy Day
Alliant’s newest foray into solar is good news for Wisconsin renewable energy enthusiasts, who recently suffered a discouraging setback when the state’s Public Service Commission cast a vote allowing existing utilities to boost fixed charges on customer’s monthly invoices, purchase customer-produced power at a reduced rate, and assess an additional fee against consumers who install rooftop solar arrays.
The vote was seen as a capitulation to big utilities, which have been railing against the “distributed energy” trend. Consumer-generated electricity has the potential to take a bite out of their profits, leaving them to collect infrastructure maintenance costs from an ever-shrinking customer base.
Solar advocates are quick to point out that utilities actually stand to benefit from distributed energy production. Energy consumed close to the source is less subject to transmission loss, and allowing customers to produce their own energy reduces peak power requirements and bolsters grid stability.
Let’s Hear It for Alliant Energy!
In an energy climate where many shortsighted utilities are desperately trying to preserve the old ways of doing things at all costs, forward-thinking utilities deserve recognition. So here’s to Alliant Energy! May their solar experiment be a rousing success! And if you're solar business is operating in Wisconsin or elsewhere and your marketing department could use a little boost before the end of the year, then consider purchasing high quality exclusive solar leads from RGR Marketing, and increase your business's revenue today.
[Photo Via: Glassdoor]
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