Reply #15: It's certainly more than just the affluent, but the story you link is deceptive [View All]

[FBaggins]

"two thirds of solar PV installations from 2009 to 2011 were in zip codes with median household incomes between $40,000 and $84,000" is a highly deceptive statistic. There are tax credits involved in many cases, so presumably there's data on actual average income of people who purchase solar... so why go with the median income for the zip code?

One thing they're ignoring is that many solar installations these days are by LLCs that sell the homeowner on a zero-risk proposition. Install the solar panels on your home at no cost to you and we'll sell you the power from them at below-market rates. But when the panels are finally paid for (however many years in the future) the homeowner is still buying the power and the corporation is reaping the profits.

So sure, the PV installation is on a home in a middle-class neighborhood, but the real owner is a corporation owned quite possibly by the 1%.