I replied to an email I got this morning from one of our readers who requested to get quotes from solar installation companies a few weeks ago. He was just curious whether there was any new solar technology out there he wasn’t about to miss the boat on by going solar right now.
This is a common reaction among people considering solar. In other realms, it’s referred to as “cognitive dissonance”. People need to feel they are getting the best available option all the way through the buying process.
That’s why whizbang reports of newfangled solar technology can confuse people into thinking installing solar on their roof is now unwise. Continual “solar breaking news” makes it easy to hear the rumble of progress around the corner – even though nobody has seen any of it with their own eyes.
Sometimes I compare this “lets wait and see” solar reaction to someone who is looking to get to a once in a lifetime symphony performance. You have the opportunity to leave now and get there 15 minutes before show time with your friend who drives a Honda, or you could wait some indeterminate amount of time longer for this super sleek hydrogen powered neon limo to roll by and pick you up. After all, a flyer from the sky informed you earlier in the year the hydrogen limo is on pace to cruise by your house around now to give you a supersonic ride anywhere you want to go. Of course by waiting, you risk being late or missing the show.
Investing in solar panels may not seem like you’re biting into the latest nectar filled bosom of solar technology the internet is all aflutter about, but you can rest assured those panels will perform admirably for decades, kinda of like your buddy’s Honda. That neon hydrogen limo might not make it around the corner.
If arriving on time to the once in a lifetime symphony above is equivalent to your payback time on the solar energy system, I can only speak for myself, but I’d rather be in the Honda.
Wisconsin Solar Rebates and Incentives Updated! Sort of. »« Thank you sun! It's harvest time!
The expression “The perfect should not be the enemy of the good” comes to mind.
Well said (or recalled) Patrick!
Where is that from?
[...] Myth#3: Solar will get cheaper, so I might as well wait. While it’s true that improvements in technology and competition is making solar panels cheaper, the current number of State and Federal incentives are also getting less generous as these prices come down. So if you’re already in a solar friendly State or municipality (see #1 above), then yes, wait until local incentives improve. On the other hand, if you are in a solar friendly State, the price is going to remain about the same for the next 10 years, so might as well start saving on your electric bills now. For more on why it might not make sense to wait, check out Dan’s recent post: The cost of the “let’s wait and see” solar buying reaction. [...]
Check out this WSJ link for more earth shaking solar innovations
