The reason I bought solar power up, was because in the past few years at Cdn Tire they had large (2 x 4 ft) cells that were in the price of 300-500. now its about 700. So when I was checking into rebates the second ref said that you there was a proposal to limit new installations to a "net zero", in other words excess energy you produce would not be sold back to bc hydro.
The "net zero" would be gauged on your current use of electrical engery (KW), but what happens if next year after I get a system I buy an electric car or two? If I do get an solar/wind system I would like to sell it back into the grid (like an business) which would help offset the cost of installation.
There is a book called The Third Industrial Revolution by Jeremy Rifkin. About lateral power transforming energy, the economy and the world. In other worlds renewable energy like solar, wind, etc being produced by the average household/business excess energy is sold to the grid.
By limiting the sale of excess energy int the gird, provincial government maintain a monopoly on the energy grid and dictate the price of electricity. I was in Ontario five years ago when I heard that BC hydro was increasing rates by 30% to offset big projects at BC hydro. In reality, people in BC were cutting back on electricity, not using as much and their Revenue fell (pluse the proposed projects). It happened in the CRD in Victoria, the water board had to ask for an increase because of water conservation. To make up in revenue drop the provincial board ok an rate increases to offset the loss of revenue.
So since the drop in oil prices (due to fracking in the states), solar panels have started to come up in price. According to the law of Supply and Demand, when a resource gets scarce the price goes up. Every one knows the world is running out of oil (cause the world is not making any more oil), the price of oil should be going up. Its not. Its dropping due to an inflated supply caused by the US. It is causing a backlash on renewable energy that is carbon neutral and sustainable; yet the price of solar cells has increased (oil is cheaper for transport and electrical use). The price of solar cells should be cheaper and more solar and wind farms should be going up...
One reason could be the "not in my Backyard" thinking. In Thunder Bay there was a proposal for a wind farm in the area of Thunder Bay. Unfortunately the people in the valley where it was to go up objected to the wind farm idea. They went to court and stopped it from being built.... and won....
As to not use solar power in BC, depends on the area. Solar panels work best under 26 degrees Celsius and will work on cloudy days too (just not as efficient in bright sunshine). Cloudy days can be offset by wind turbines.
There are systems on some Atlantic Islands where they use hydro electric power during the day and at night when its windy (or solar in daytime) store that energy to reuse the hydro water (where its is pumped back up to the top reservoir ) to make the system very efficient.
