Why aren't more businesses converting to renewable energy?

1. 61

   lime light powerposted 13 years ago

   Why aren't more businesses converting to renewable energy?
   
   The IRS allows businesses to depreciate any renewable energy system at a 5 year accelerated rate, effectively making the time to payback, after taxes, fixed at 5 years. So why aren't more businesses converting to / installing alternative / renewable power. After 5 years they do get free energy...

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2. 61

   peterxdunnposted 13 years ago

   Hi lime light power
   
   The answer is that many see energy produced from, say, the wind to be unreliable: the wind doesn't always blow.
   
   Same with solar: we get cloudy days.
   
   You could also ask why haven't alternative technologies - like the Well's Turbine and Professor Salter's Duck (both wave power systems) - been deployed?
   
   Answer. The petro-chemical/oil industry lobbies hard to prevent such systems from getting any serious consideration at government level. Everything is stacked against alternative tech'. And most government's 'green credentials' are entirely spurious.
   
   If you would care to investigate a new concept in vertical axis wind turbine design (all my own work) you can download a pdf - that explains my ideas with text and diagrams - from the link below. I would be most interested to hear any views/input you may have on the subject.
   
   http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/2292492 … -749k?da=y
   
   My best regards
   
   peterxdunn

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3. 61

   lime light powerposted 13 years ago

   Wave energy was poo-pooed because of faulty data that was collected in early tests (late 70's early 80's), but is now gaining traction again.
   
   There is are many derivative wave energy tests going on across the globe right now (derivative in the sense that they are based upon the research of Well's an Salter) - one that has received a lot of press lately is in Saider Bay in Scotland. I believe they are also testing in Maine and on the west coast. So these technologies are being worked on - thankfully.
   
   My purpose in asking the question was to question why businesses aren't taking advantage of an amazing "tax incentive" - regardless of how effective solar or wind or any other technology may or may not be (they do actually work) - with accelerated depreciation, after 5 years any power they do generate is 100% paid for, thus free...

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