Denis Oudard, Rooftop Solar Owner

My wife and I have installed a rooftop solar system this spring (2018) on our house in Norfolk. It represents an investment with a very secure (the sun always comes up) and steady return.

We traveled by car up to Boston and back not long ago. The number of solar installations on roofs of homes and commercial buildings changes dramatically depending on which State we were in. In Virginia, solar panels on roofs are quite rare. Why is Virginia so behind on such an opportunity?

‘Hurdles’ is the answer. We are not even talking incentives! For example, why is coop solar forbidden? or so difficult to permit that they become impossible?

The transition to renewable energy, whose urgency I hope no longer needs expanded upon, needs to be multifaceted, and include wind.

Facilitating solar and energy storage closer to the point of consumption, i.e. on or near the homes and businesses that consume that energy; is of paramount importance. Distributed solar + storage is a robust solution to the many challenges of creating a dependable non-polluting source of energy for all.

In addition, the installation of distributed solar is a great creator of non-exportable jobs. Large arrays the like Dominion Electric is reluctantly installing create jobs for super large installers from out of state. Distributed solar creates job right here in Virginia.

These qualities and economic benefits need to be supported by facilitating permitting of interconnected small to medium systems, of private, commercial and cooperative installations.

A simple and inexpensive requirement in the building code could facilitate the installation of solar installation on new constructions. Just have an electrical conduit run from under the attic to the electrical distribution panel.

More elaborate incentives have been implemented in many other states, and information is readily available on those. It is above all crucial to defend and expand Virginia’s net-metering law.

Sincerely,

Denis Oudard