Here's a Letter I just sent to the Editor of the SF Examiner. Check back to see if it's published. Link above points to original article.
Regarding the article this past Sunday on the SFPUC seeking to dig into $1MM funds set aside for low-income residents. I doubt anyone ran the numbers for an installation. A small sized PV unit costs around $12K. For an upper income tax payer, city rebates plus tax breaks drop that to $3,500. Because tax breaks are smaller for a low-income family (lower tax bracket), a system would cost more. I cannot imagine a low-income family spending 10%+ of their yearly income for solar panels. PV installations often require roof modifications or a new roof. Although well intentioned, this was not thought through.
You could give away PV to low-income families, but that's not what they need. Improve home efficiency and reduce energy usage through insulation, better heating, energy efficient appliances. Make a difference were it can help the most.
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