In the city of Los Angeles, the department of water and power is considering whether to slash solar rebates and subsidies for residents and business owners which could end up costing the city a lot more money than it realizes.

What continues to amaze me is that the powers that be don’t realize that solar energy is not just a trend, a fad, a movement that will pass – it is the wave of the future. It will be just like computers were 20 years ago. When someone said that in 2010 nearly every home would have at least one computer inside it, I’m sure it was difficult to believe at the time. Now, it is nearly impossible to imagine any other scenario.

Solar power and energy is going to be the exact same way and those who don’t acknowledge this and support it and get in line to make it a reality will be the ones left behind.

The city department in Los Angeles wants to cut incentives by 30 percent. This would cost the average homeowner several thousand dollars out of his own pocket to install solar projects and could cost businesses as much as $40,000.

This high cost may be just enough to discourage people from turning to solar power, just when it is really needed. The momentum is growing and should not be squelched.

Meanwhile, because of this looming threat, right now is the best time to take advantage of any solar rebates, incentives and subsidies out there. What appears to be happening is that at the same time people are considering chopping these funds, the cost of solar panel installation and other projects is swiftly dropping. The confluence means that this is the perfect time to jump on board the solar power bandwagon. With the threat of rebate money disappearing and the plunging prices for the technology, it might be the exact right time to bring solar energy to your home or business.

These factors – high rebate, low cost could help you save even more money in the future. Conversely, we are also seeing that with some of these rebates on the chopping block, the price of solar could either stop its freefall or even go up, which would be the worse-case-scenario.

Los Angeles isn’t the only city that is considering this drastic measure. Arizona put the kibosh on some of its funding when it realized it had more applicants than funds. However, hopefully the funding will be resources and that problem won’t crop up again.

Look at Louisiana as a role model. The nonprofit group Make It Right is building homes for New Orleans residents who were wiped out in Hurricane Katrina. The homes use solar technology – each one has at least 15 large solar panels (each the size of picnic tables) on the roof. In addition, the houses tamp heat energy from deep below the house in the earth. When you add energy efficient lighting, appliances and a method to capture rainwater, then you truly are seeing the homes of the future when you look at these buildings.

Author Bio: Frank Yocanis has been writing about solar energy for more than a decade. He is an expert on how solar power will enhance our world and our lives.

Category: Advice
Keywords: arizona solar power, arizona solar energy, arizona solar panels