“Our nation’s goal to produce 40% of electric energy from solar by 2035 presents a daunting challenge.
Consider that less than 3% is produced today despite solar fields seemingly popping-up everywhere. Already pushback from the public is on the rise given the transformation of once bucolic lands into waves of glass.
Furthermore, the best sites from an infrastructure point of view have already been developed. Without significant additional investment in the grid, building many more solar fields is impractical.
Existing roofs present a solution. The National Reusable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates that there exists about 3,000 square miles of roof space in the continental United States suitable for solar.
That’s enough to produce 1.4 trillion watt hours of electricity per year or about 35% of the total needed to power the country.
Moreover, whereas new solar fields will need to be sited farther and farther from where the electricity is needed, rooftops are already at the point of use, thereby requiring less new infrastructure.
Additionally, the widely distributed nature of electric production from rooftop solar will tend to stabilize the grid and provide more resilience during storms or other anomalies.
Tax credits and accelerated depreciation provide incentives to a handful of landowners and developers, making solar fields financially attractive. Government needs to find a way to make rooftop solar financially compelling for everyone that owns a roof.
Larry Jordan
Amsterdam”
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Jordan, Larry. Schenectady Daily Gazette 6 December 2021.