Georgetown Receives $1M Solar Grant from Bloomberg

It was reported in the October 31 edition of the Wilco Sun that Georgetown will use the grant to start implementing its idea to lease rooftop space on residential and commercial properties to install solar panels that will generate enough energy to offset the city’s need to purchase power from outside sources.

The City is now admitting that they have to purchase power from ERCOT even though they have repeatedly told us that the city provides 100% renewable energy to its customers.

Just another "lie" shown for what it is!

Here is an excerpt from the Sun article:

From survey responses, staff learned that residents were willing to let the city use their rooftops for free so they could have reliable back-up energy during a storm.

Does the City staff think we are stupid? The sun will likely not be shining during a storm or maybe for several days after a storm. How many days have we seen without sunshine here in Georgetown this year and we have not suffered any major storms. So these roof mounted panels will not provide reliable back-up energy during a storm.

There are many questions that should be answered before any property owner allows solar panels to be mounted on their roof.

1. Will their property insurance and premiums increase to cover the panels?

2. How will these panels affect the value of the property as the panels reach the end of their productive life, 20yrs?

3. A structural analysis will have to be conducted on each roof to determine if the roof structure needs to be strengthened to accommodate the increased weight of the panels. Many older homes will likely require strengthening. Who pays for this?

4. Who assumes liability for the solar panels over their life, the property owner or the city?

5. Who is responsible for the disposal of the panels at the end of their life?

6. Who is responsible for repairing damages to the panels, say from a hail storm?

7. Is the property owner aware and assumes all responsibility for additional costs for roof replacement when there are solar panels installed on the existing roof?

There are likely other relevant questions that will need to be answered.