The pace of residential solar pv installation continues to grow dramatically. The growth of distributed generation is a disruptive trend and a welcome one. While some fear change, others embrace it. We are proud to be doing our small part to bring about that change.
Most pv going in right now is in utility scale projects by far. This report from SEIA states that residential installations have outpaced commercial installations, you can also gather other interesting statistics here:
On a philosophical note, while we applaud the installation of large multi-hundred mega-watt pv installations by utilities, it really only solves one aspect of the problems with our current system. Yes the utility-produced solar electricity is clean, carbon-free and better than coal, gas, nuclear, or big hydro from an environmental standpoint, however it is still the privatization of what is a universally distributed resource. “Who owns the sun?” is a question long asked. We are bathed in an abundant and beautiful resource reaching you in about 5 minutes from 93 million miles away. Just as much sunshine more or less reaches your house per square foot as anywhere else. So why should you pay someone else to turn that solar energy into useful electricity? As long as we continue to let others have control over our power resources, there will be economic injustice inherent in the system, and choices made that are not in your best interest. Without getting any more revolutionary, for you I recommend putting up your own pv array, and capturing that energy yourself without letting corporate middlemen insert themselves into your relationship with the sun. It is only through direct personal action that you can help make changes that benefit our environment and benefit your family as well.
5.9 kw, Port Townsend, Spring 2014