Clean Energy: Why It Is Not Catching On As Fast As It Could and What We Can Do About It

Clean Energy: Why It Is Not Catching On As Fast As It Could and What We Can Do About It

Necessity remains the catalyst of all invention.  The need for clean energy has become greater and greater each passing day.  This need has brought rise to an increase in the use of solar panels, wind turbines, and fuel cells.  All of these technologies allow the user to obtain energy at a fraction of the cost of conventional energy costs.  More importantly, these energy sources are renewable and reduce, or prevent, further damage to the environment.  Surprisingly, these technologies have not become ubiquitous in modern everyday life.

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Usually, the individuals and business that can afford the initial investment of these technologies are the ones who are able to benefit from them.  Conversely, the ones who need the cost savings from such technology, the financially dependent people and the struggling small businesses, are the ones who cannot afford the initial technological investment.  When credit is tight it can be especially difficult to obtain the financing to purchase these technologies.  The willingness to invest in a piece of equipment instead of having a financial safety net can be tough even when an individual, or business, has saved the required capital to purchase these technologies.

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After purchase, the cost of maintenance can also be a challenge.  Also, finding the correct parts and services can be difficult due to the rarity of these products in normal residential and commercial settings.  Though being kind to the environment is appealing the lack of financial attractiveness can derail any plans of utilizing renewable energy.  The cost of insuring these pieces of equipment from natural, and man-made, hazards is rarely mentioned in product literature.  No government entity, or private organization, has been able to implement a comprehensive plan to increase the use of these technologies even with the understanding that there needs to be something done to protect the environment.

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Solving the dearth of renewable energy use will require the proper mix of tools to be affective.  First, power companies need to get into the business of selling this equipment to the public and then making their revenue through maintenance.  Second, when a business or an individual purchases this equipment they should be able to claim that on their tax return.  Finally, when an individual or person has excess energy that is placed on to the grid they should be able to earn tax free income from its use.  Utilizing all three of these concepts together will drive the market into a more environmentally friendly direction.