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by 0xy 1172 days ago
Should the message to poor people, who are getting destroyed with very high energy costs, be "just spend $10,000 on solar"?

Environmentalists are pretty out of touch when they throw poor people under the bus and tell them to just buy a $50,000 entry-level Tesla or a $10,000 entry-level solar system.

They'll simply vote for populism if they are bled further, and price rises are a certainty with expensive renewable 'solutions'. Our grid can't even support a large expansion of solar, nor a large expansion of EVs. Costs will grow exponentially if the grid is gold-plated to handle EVs and further solar, along with expensive renewables.
2 comments
throwaway2037 1172 days ago
You make good points. I wish govts in wealthy countries would offer more zero rate loans or grants to low income people to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. It's a win-win: That means low income people lower their CO2 footprint and their incomes rise. For low income people, usually that gets spent right back into the economy, further boosting GDP.

If you look closely at the heat pump rebates in the UK, it is roughly 50% the upfront cost for average installations. That leaves an upfront payment of 5,000 GBP or more. There is just no way that middle class and below will have that money in savings. A better idea: Provide zero interest loans. Whatever is saved on energy bills can be used to pay down the loan. After 10-20 years, it should payoff the entire loan with a huge benefit for everyone.

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roenxi 1172 days ago
Resources can't be magicked into existence, they have to come from somewhere. They'll probably be the people who are being forced to buy new heat pumps. A 0% interest loan is going to act similarly to just forcing them to buy the heat pump.
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FrojoS 1172 days ago
How long will the heat pump last? First result says 25 years. [1]

https://www.evergreenenergy.co.uk/heat-pump-guides/how-long-....

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WinnieRallycar 1172 days ago
Especially in Australia, where we are also undergoing a housing crisis. Australia's poorest don't own their homes, and renters don't have a say on insulation or solar installation.
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