[lbo-talk] Nuclear/Solar debate in UK

[Jordan Hayes]

I read about an interesting new twist on funding for solar the other 
day, and I think Berkeley is going to try it.  Instead of giving grants, 
or tax breaks, the idea is to deal with the biggest reason people don't 
do it: it just doesn't make economic sense.  Many of the current systems 
can pay for themselves if well maintained for 20+ years (right around 
the time they need to be replaced, tho that'll get better in the 
future) -- but, people tend to sell their house on average in 7 years. 
When you sell, the fact that you have a solar system doesn't add up to 
an increase in price, so it's even less cost-effective in reality than 
it is in theory.

So the idea is for the city to float a bond to directly pay for the 
systems, and then attach a tax assesment *to the house* for the next 20 
years to pay back the loan.  If you sell the house, you're selling the 
loan.  And of course because the city can get better terms than you can, 
it's much cheaper for you not just initially but over the lifetime of 
the system.  If they match the length of the special assesment to the 
expected lifetime of the system, it's fair for new owners.  And of 
course the payments continue to be deductable, because it's in the form 
of a property tax.

I'll be interested to see if it catches on; the article I read mentioned 
that San Francisco was also considering it.

/jordan