Right now there are huge incentives 50% of purchase price or more, potential selling back of extra energy produced and potential tax breaks, though home equity loans, for buying solar power here in Arizona making the price very affordable. I could mount the system on my back fence and make it so it tracks the sun for optimal electrical generation. And we do tend to get a lot of sun here in Phoenix, “The Valley of the Sun.”

However, from an investment standpoint it’s a bad one right now. Going solar was one of the first things I looked into when I bought my house because I hate the idea of being slaved to huge monopoly owned government regulated (worst of both worlds) electrical grid. But, best case scenario for me (no equity in my home to borrow against) the most likely return on investment I could achieve over the life of a system is about 2%. While the worst (safest) investment instrument I’m presently using has and ROI of 4 % the best was over 30% last year because of the depressed state of the stock market. So for me it’s not a matter of costing to much up front but rather it just being a bad investment unless something changes. As for solar water heating, natural gas is so cheap here I wouldn’t even consider it.

I would still love to have my own solar power and heat capability just for peace of mind, but for now it’d be a waste of my money.

My biggest reason for alternative energy sources still based on national security. Imagine if the 911 terrorists hadn’t been stuck in their typical narrow-minded headline grabbing doctrine. What if instead they had crashed the planes into 4 of the 5 major oil refineries serving the U.S. Even if the actual damage had not been crippling the ensuing economic panic would have been massive. I assure you that many areas of the U.S. would have declared martial law.

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