Taxation or Tumbrels
1 hour ago
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Job growth
Do you want to get into a high growth field that can' be outsourced to China? Right now one of the fastest growing fields is alternative energy installer. Good money to be made there. Wind and especially solar has come way down in price.
Big energy companies want to focus on things like huge solar farms in the desert. That way they can continue to send out bills every month. Well, as luck would have it, the sun shines most places. It makes a lot more sense to generate power close to where it's being used.
Someone is going to be stuck with a lot of power lines that fewer and fewer people need. We've seen this before, most recently in the phone industry. Maintaining landlines is expensive and labor intensive. It's much cheaper to put up cell phone towers.
It makes sense to install lots of little alternative energy systems and that requires workers who can custom fit power systems to many unique sites.
Eventually there will be alternative energy systems every place they are needed and make any sort of economic sense. The build out will take years to happen. A some point fewer installers will be needed as the systems are very long lasting. Not every job in the field will disappear as someone will have to maintain things and new construction still goes on. It will be years before we get to that point.
That's the advice I'm giving young people today. Get in on alternative energy because at some point it will be most of our energy.
-Sixbears
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Excellent idea, IF big money doesn't get small systems outlawed, or force homeowners to stay connected to the grid (like they have in some places).
ReplyDeleteThere is resistance from existing big businesses, but I don't think they'll win out in the end.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately there are some places that make living off the grid unlawful (sorry, can't remember where) and some places tax rainwater!
ReplyDeleteGod thing it's still legal to move.
DeleteThe more immediate effect will be that utility companies will increase the "minimum" amount charged for those, like you, that have an alternative system but continue to be connected to the grid. Eventually we may see a fee charged if the grid passes your property, regardless of whether it is connected, much like the current policy of municipal water/sewer authorities. I fell victim to substantial monthly charges for a property I owned because the lines ran past even though I was not connected. I sold the property but learned a valuable lesson on how hard it is to be "off the grid".
ReplyDeleteI'm keeping a close eye on what's going on. I could always just disconnect from the grid but might have to be sneaky about it. There are ways.
DeleteSounds like good advice to me. I think that solar is the way to go overall.
ReplyDeleteIn 10 years it will provide most of our power.
DeleteI was thinking today as we took a drive through the mountains, that solar panels are a very common sight here. Not just around businesses, but even around homes. I see them everywhere, and some of the solar power banks are massive. I also notice that these people had the good sense to put their panels where the sun shines on them a lot. My experiment with solar power largely failed because although I live on a mountain top, I'm surrounded by higher mountains and on a steep slope. I just didn't get enough sun on my panels to do the job.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I figured out how to do my own site survey. Ended up putting my panels on a tall pole on the north side of my property and cut down some trees.
DeleteSolar panels are quietly going up all over the place. Even the local pub covered it's south facing roof with panels.
There was a huge upsurge of power line transmisson lines going up here several years ago in very rural locations that did not make sense at the time. Wind farm windmills are now sprouting up like crazy - now we know.
ReplyDeleteSo now you know. I'm surprised they could just put them up without any public hearings. Every state is different I guess.
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