The solar fallacy sort of follows the same thinking as purchasing
your own home is a good investment. Of course your home will
appreciate in value over time. However when you add up the interest
paid on the mortgage, the taxes, insurance, maintenance and upkeep as
well as the purchasing and selling costs it can actually be a loss.

You have completely discounted the value of "feeling good about saving the
environment." While admittedly this is hard to quantify, contentment is
often a high-priced item.

For those for whom intent trumps results, solar panels would be a good
deal at twice the price.


*I also did not consider bragging rights. I am not familiar with the
manufacturing process for solar panels, but I would think that the factory
uses electricity (Solar?) and other utilities for lighting, heat, computers
etc. Then there's the diesel trucks that deliver the panels to a warehouse
and get unloaded by a forklift. Then a local gas or diesel powered truck
delivers them to the end user. How many trees were cut down for the factory
and warehouse to be built? How much wildlife was displaced to make room for
the parking lots and driveways? How much fertilizer will be put down on the
factory lawn and garden to make it look pretty?

My personal opinion is that the only way to really save the environment and
live in harmony with it is to stop population growth. There are too many
people living on this planet sucking the life out of it. Unfortunately our
economic system depends on growth and expansion. We bank on that premise.