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Durango, CO 81301

970-403-5004

Based in Durango, Colorado, Flatrock Solar is a locally owned and operated solar panel contractor and installer serving the Durango area from Cortez to Pagosa Springs and Silverton to Ignacio.  Flatrock Solar has been helping businesses, homeowners and non-profits convert Colorado sunshine into clean, renewable energy since 2010.  

Thoughts - musings on solar panels and renewable energy

This page is for thoughts and ideas about solar and the environment in general.  I'm passionate about solar and think and read about it daily.  This will be a space for these thoughts.

Renewable energy sources such as solar seen as safe from oil price drop

Dan Diehl

At first glance it seems like the price drop of crude oil might make solar power less desirable for utility scale projects, but the correlation between solar projects and the price of crude is less than you’d think. Some of the reasons why the price of crude oil won’t effect large solar projects are:

  1. Solar is used to produce electricity and oil is mainly used for transportation. There is some cross over with natural gas being a byproduct of oil, but mainly oil is not used to create electricity.

  2. Large utility scale projects that produce electricity have to choose upfront the fuel they will use for the life of the project. Once you’ve decided to install several acres of solar panels you can’t switch to natural gas just because the spot price is low right now.

  3. Most large solar projects are funded by institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies that are looking for a steady, bond-like return on their investment. Solar projects provide this type of return by front loading the costs (the solar panels, inverters, etc.) and the fuel being cost free (free sunshine!). Petroleum based power plants can be greatly effected by varying fuel costs over the several decades that the plant will be in operation.

Even if you’re not an institutional investor, you can make the smart choice and invest in your own small solar power plant on your own roof! Consider investing in a secure asset now with solar panels.

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