To the editor: I agree with columnist Sammy Roth that the debate regarding net metering for legacy rooftop solar is unnecessary (“Column: California’s rooftop solar infighting is a colossal waste of time,” March 6). But more discussion needs to be focused on incentives for future rooftop solar.
My wife and I recently installed solar panels along with a battery backup. This system allows us to easily power our home without taking any power from the grid. In addition, during the midday when the sun is shining the brightest, instead of selling power to the grid, I charge our electric vehicle.
As a result our electric bill has dropped from close to $300 to $70 a month, plus having our car being driven without fuel costs. These savings, plus the 30% tax credit for our solar installation, make our investment well worth it.
What is needed is a way to help homeowners without the means to come up with the capital for the initial installation. No other incentives are necessary.
Karl Reitz, San Clemente
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To the editor: California utilities have a valid point — of course building and operating the grid costs money and provides value. If customers pay only for energy consumed, those costs are not necessarily covered. At least Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric already effectively bill some customers for grid use via “demand charges” in some electricity tariff schedules.
A fair solution would seem simple: Charge all customers, including residential, in two pieces — a monthly fee for grid connection and a separate charge for net energy consumed. That would rebut any logical reason to eliminate true net metering.
Bob Wieting, Simi Valley
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To the editor: The power utilities are in a death spiral. Every person who installs solar is less money they make, so the utilities spread misinformation and blame the solar users for the power price hikes. The utilities are simply protecting their bottom line at the expense of us all. The more the prices rise, the more people install solar and the less money the utilities make. So the utilities make solar more expensive and blame solar for their price increases to protect their bottom lines. California residences need more distributed solar for resilience and to protect the environment.
Doug Macmillan, Torrance
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To the editor: We need to expand, not penalize, incentives for solar panels.
Edward Bravo, Walnut
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To the editor: Renewable energy protects us from supply disruptions, price volatility, military vulnerability and the storms, droughts, wildfires and warming, rising and acidifying oceans caused by our fossil fuel use. Fossil fuel use is like buying a cheap printer and being stuck with buying overpriced ink for the life of the printer. Solar installations can guarantee electricity at pennies per kWh for 25 years!
Tom Hazelleaf, Seal Beach
