Workers install panels on the roof of a home in Boulder. (Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post file)
Re: “Hidden costs of rooftop solar,” Oct. 9 letter to the editor.
While I don’t live in Xcel’s service territory, I have a rooftop solar system, so I watch their solar debate with great interest. The debate centers on how much to reimburse a rooftop solar owner for the excess energy produced, whether at the annualized retail rate, wholesale rate, or avoided cost. Solar produces energy during the day, when demand and the price for electricity are highest. Yet utilities want to reimburse rooftop solar owners based on an average cost calculated over the course of a year, which considers both daytime and nighttime cost. Xcel has demand-side management programs that encourage homeowners to cycle off their air conditioning and appliances during hot summer days. To be consistent, why wouldn’t the solar reimbursement rate consider that solar produces electricity when a utility needs it most?
Ken O’Neal, Parker
This letter was published in the Oct. 14 edition.
Submit a letter to the editor via this form or check out our guidelines for how to submit by e-mail or mail.
