Solar Leases Launched

For thousands of years, people throughout civilizationsDepartment of Labor announced nearly $100 million in
around the world have harnessed the sun's immensegreen jobs training grants authorized by the American
energy to power their lives. The sun's solar rays wereRecovery and Reinvestment Act. The money will
used to cook food, and much later, to powersupport job-training programs to assist unemployed
calculators, increase the productivity of crops, andpeople with finding careers in green industries. The goal
generate electricity for homes, schools and officeof the grant is to prepare workers for jobs as (among
buildings. This ancient practice is now experiencing aother professions) solar panel installers.
revival in American suburbia, as some homeowners"[This] announcement is part of the administration's
have the chance to lease solar rooftop panels, withlong-term commitment to fostering both immediate
what's being called a "residential solar lease."economic revitalization and a clean energy future. It's
This no-money-down, low-monthly plan makes solaran investment that will help American workers
electricity much less expensive than it typically costs:succeed while doing good," said Secretary of Labor
Buying and installing a solar panel system costs aHilda Solis in a press release.
homeowner between $20,000 and $50,000.This recent grant funding is part of a much larger
Wall Street developed this new financing plan as aRecovery Act initiative of $500 million to fund
way to make solar energy more financially feasibleworkforce development projects that prepare
and desirable for homeowners. Proponents of theworkers for careers in energy efficiency and
residential solar lease compare the plan to a car lease:renewable energy industries to promote economic
Homeowners don't have to buy and install the solargrowth. This news from President Obama's
panels. Instead, they rent a rooftop solar array for aadministration clearly shows the direction of America's
monthly fee. Customers sign a contract that bindsfuture: A shift to a low-carbon, clean way of powering
them to this agreement for a specific period of time,our houses, cars and lives, and an investment in the
and at the end of the contract they have the option toworkforce to get us there.
either extend the lease or buy the panels. Currently,Buildings in the United States use one-third of all energy
companies charge about $100 a month for a solarconsumed and two-thirds of all electricity. This massive
lease over a 15-year contract period.amount of energy use contributes to climate change
Proponents of residential solar leases expect thatand pollution, by accounting for 49 percent of
these leases will take off in sun-drenched states,sulfur-dioxide emissions, 25 percent of nitrous-oxide
which already suffer from rising utility rates. California,emissions and 10 percent of particulate emissions.
for instance, has one of the highest electricity rates inSolar rooftop panels allow people to implement
the United States and boasts the world's third-largestmeasures to green their houses and reduce their
solar-power market. As the sun shines on and energyenergy use. Greening our nation's buildings is critical to
costs continue to rise, leasing solar rooftop panels maythe fight against climate change. In the United States
end up making a lot of financial and environmentalalone, buildings account for 38 percent of all
sense.carbon-dioxide emissions, and residential buildings are
Assuming these proponents are correct, the Unitedno small part of this statistic. Rooftop solar panels
States is going to need a workforce to meet theoffer a solution to energy consumption and the high
demand. The U.S. Department of Energy estimateseconomic and ecological cost of using fossil fuel to
that solar energy could create more than 1 million newpower our lifestyles.
jobs by the year 2030. On January 6, the U.S.