Comment Solar only works because of *HUGE* subsidies (Score 1) 517
See http://www.carbon49.com/2010/0... for some details of of how everybody else is being ripped off to make solar "profitable" in the pronce of Ontario in Canada...
> Ontario Hydro One will buy the clean energy generated from the program
> participants at rates of up to 80 cents/kWh. This is much higher than the
> rates Ontario Hydro One sell their energy to the public at approximately
> 9 cents/kWh. The idea is to provide financial incentives for private
> businesses and communities to invest in renewable energy generation
Yes, that's right. The provincial power utility is paying almost 9 times as much for unreliable solar (and wind) power as it charges the public. Damn well right it's a money-loser. This works like something invented by the "creative accounting" minds at Enron. Imagine 3 neighbours living next door to each other....
Neighbour A) pays 9.3 cents per KWH for his usage
Neighbour B) generates 12% of his usage, and feeds it to his fridge/computers/swimming-pool/whatever. He only has to pay for the remaining 88% of his usage
Neighbour C) generates 12% of his usage and sells it to Ontario Hydro at the super-inflated rate. He then buys back 100% of his usage at the regular retail rate. He effectively pays zero for his electricity, even though he only generates 12% of what he's using.
This is legislated robbery.