New opportunity to GO SOLAR

An article in today's La Crosse Tribune details Gundersen Clinic's participation in the Geostellar Solar Clinic program. "Geothermal and Solar.Clinic create a profile for homeowners to discover what solar systems might cost and their projected benefits." They then, apparently, do the installation for those who decide to move forward.

This sounds similar to the Sierra Club/H&H Solar program to put solar on people's rooftops. That program provides a free solar site assessment, a detailed proposal that shows costs and payback times, and, for those who follow through, installation of the system with a discount on solar panels and a donation to the Sierra Club.

Last year's PSC decision to increase fixed rates, and previous decisions to decrease the payback (how much and how often solar homeowners are paid) for energy they generate and feed back to the grid  slowed the number of people going solar because the payback period became too long.

The Solar Clinic program is a grid-tie with option for battery "backup" which adds considerably to the cost of a system (especially if you want enough "backup" to store all the energy you'll use) which means you will run up against the same problem - paying more than you should for the privilege of providing cheap clean energy to Xcel while they have every opportunity to up your rates at their convenience. The Solar Clinic program appears to charge up front and guarantee your current rate for the lifetime of your system which does insulate you from ever increasing electricity rates (even as the cost for solar continues to plummet).

If the Solar Clinic might offer a battery/off grid option, and IF your home is suitable for solar (sadly, the H&H people say that most of those who are motivated and get a solar assessment are not well-sited for a solar installation), then it would be wonderful to generate your own clean power and no longer be tied to the utility company.