92% of Americans support solar power development, study says

The vast majority -- 92% -- of Americans think it’s important for the country to develop and use solar power, according to a study released today, making the alternative energy option potentially one of the most popular things since puppies or ice cream.

The sentiment was echoed almost evenly across political parties, with 89% of Republicans, 94% of Democrats and 93% of Independents agreeing that solar energy is an important aim.

The 2009 Schott Solar Barometer, conducted by independent polling firm Kelton Research, found that 77% of respondents also believe the federal government should make solar power development a national priority. Nearly half are considering solar power options for their home or business, while 70% of those hope to make the switch in the next five years. Only 3% already use the sun for energy.

If, as president of the U.S., they had to choose one energy source to fund, 43% of respondents would chose solar, followed by the 17% who picked wind, the 12% who settled on natural gas and the 10% who selected nuclear.

And yet only 12% of those polled could say that they were extremely informed about solar power while 74% said they wished they knew more about solar power options.

The study, conducted from Aug. 31 to Sept. 8, was commissioned by German photovoltaic company Schott Solar and the Solar Energy Industries Assn.

-- Tiffany Hsu

Comments

[sheila]

It is incredibly important that people know that all solar is not created equal. Local, point of use solar is much cleaner, more reliable, and more secure from blackouts/ brownouts/ cyber-attacks, and uses no water, kills no species and is DEMOCRATICALLY OWNED. Hugely important to make sure that loan programs like CA's AB 811 get FUNDED (they are barely able to make any loans so far, and are always over-subscribed) and equally important that we implement FAIR FEED IN TARIFFS so that everyone who does the right thing by investing in and producing clean, non-lethal power and conserving on their usage gets PAID fairly for the excess they feed to the grid.

Between net metering (revenue neutral to utilities), feed in tariffs, and having the systems be privately owned will cost ratepayer-generators nothing and will also cost other ratepayers almost nothing, while they enjoy the benefits of huge amounts of clean power displacing dirty coal and gas. The only "costs" are in lost revenues (offset by decreased fuel and infrastructure costs) to the utilities, and since when is it our priority to keep making them grotesque, guaranteed profits while we all starve?

Big Solar, in start contrast, is incredibly harmful to ecosystems, completely and permanently destroys tens of thousands of acres for each industrial power plant, sucks a minimum of tens of millions of gallons of water a year (rinsing the mirrors or panels because bulldozing the desert creates huge sand-blowing problems which disable the mirrors and panels) or up to several BILLION GALLONS of water a year for the more efficient "wet cooling."

Add in huge SF6 and other emissions from the massive, unneeded new transmission infrastructure, eminent domain and widespread species decimation (plus the erosion and sandstorm problems), and the emissions from concrete and steel), and we've got ourselves a serious environmental hazard PLUS loss of our public lands, our own properties, and huge, huge expenses that WE will be stuck paying. All the profits? Chevron, BP, Bechtel, Goldman Sachs, etc. will be pocketing those.

If you care at ALL about the environment, the economy, property values, water, air quality, democracy, global warming, energy independence and security, waste, fraud, and/or oligarchies running our nation - you will ONLY support democratically owned, fully compensated solar PV installed within the existing built environment, and will object to having our land, environment and energy future hijacked by Big Energy. There is more than enough existing rooftop to produce 100% of the US' electricity needs, per the DOE, so don't believe the propaganda:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/printable_versions/myths.html

Call your state legislators, demand GENEROUS feed in tariffs, then call your county and city legislators and demand that they fund the risk-free AB 811 loans for your area immediately. Then your system will cost you nothing, and can even make you money if you conserve and invest wisely.

[Solar energy for all]

This is a confirmation of what all of us in the solar industry have known for years. The public loves the idea of solar (free) energy - they just don't know how it works.

It's our job to help educate the public about solar, because the more they know the more they like it. Prices have come down dramatically in the past year and solar is one of the best investments one can make for your home right now.

Learn more about solar, wind and other renewable energy sources:

http://www.dasolar.com

[Jac]

So if 43% of respondents had their way and Obama chose to support funding just solar power based upon polls and not results, then by 2020 we would have doubled our US capacity for solar power generation: a BIG WHOPPING 2%, up from 1%.

Now imagine spending the same amount of money to fund nuclear power generation. Even if conservatively we produce only 50% more power (instead of the declared 100% increase the solar advocates claim), we'd increase our US power generation by 10%, not a measly 1%.