Distributed Power will redistribute the power

Posted June 24, 2009 - 1:28pm by David Worrell

This month's FAST COMPANY magazine makes a great case for distributed power.   It's too bad that the popular press has to convince the rest of the world that distributed generation is the right answer... it is such an obvious solution.

Unfortunately, the utility companies want to hang on to their monopoly status and their old business models... choosing to slow our march toward energy independence rather than enabling it.

Fortunately, I think the American consumer will ultimately win.  It happened before with the move from Main Frame computers to PCs.  It happened with the Internet.  Its already happening with electricity...  the people want the power, and the smallest, fastest solution will prevail.

A couple of interesting notes from the article:

  • Residential Solar PV systems can already pay for themselves in less than 5 years
     
  • Residential Solar PV systems cost less per Kw than building large solar installations when you factor in the cost of new transmission lines and the inherent transmission losses.
     
  • What the utility companies won't do, other companies will -- and are doing.  GE will make PV products that will be "on half of the rooftops within a decade" according to GE management.
     
  • When local governments encourage citizens to install solar PV (such as through net meetering), the demand is unstoppable and insatiable.  Many cities have seen adoption rates 2x and 3x greater than expected.

The lesson? 

The time to enter the USA consumer market is NOW.  If you are making a solar or wind product in Europe or Asia, you NEED to come to the USA.... and we need you too!  150 million homes in the USA are waiting, and the window of opportunity is opening.  Call AmeriStart for help: Let us get your product into the USA market.