Image: Instagram/@ethelbooba
Ethel Booba is known for her witty antics, but it seems sustainable energy is no laughing matter to her.
The comedian via Twitter aired her views on transitioning to solar energy.
“Burning fossil fuels and coals to produce [electricity] can cause more CO2. I hope there is allocated budget to help homeowners to transition into solar panels so we can lessen the emission,” she said yesterday, Sept. 3.
Burning fossil fuels and coals to produce electric can cause more CO2. I hope there is allocated budget to help homeowners to transition into solar panels so we can lessen the emission. Charot! https://t.co/GM3cwZNON3
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) September 3, 2018
She acknowledged that it could be costly, but that it had advantages in the long run. “We can lessen or even eliminate our electric bill and kapag less ang usage ng [electricity] meaning less din ang need ng utility company na i-burn na fossil fuels and coals,” she explained.
(We can lessen or even eliminate our electric bill and when the usage of electricity is less, the utility company needs less fossil fuels and coals to burn.)
Yun nga lang talaga problema yung cost ng solar panel. Pero the good thing naman we can lessen or even eliminate our electric bill and kapag less ang usage ng electric meaning less din ang need ng utility company na i-burn na fossil fuels and coals. Charot! https://t.co/r2rmt6x4wp
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) September 3, 2018
She cited other countries and US states that offer tax rebates, allowing homeowners to earn from solar energy.
For some country and some states in US ata, I think they offer tax rebates and incentives to help homeowners to offset the price of the solar panels. Their goal is to let them transition into solar to slash the emission. Charot! https://t.co/BRgoPWQ3wP
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) September 3, 2018
Netizen Geck (@GeckPascual) mentioned that Singapore has a system in which electricity providers pay for excess solar power.
“Same in California, if they have an excess energy from their solar panels the utility company will use it and at the end of the year they receive the payment. That’s how the homeowners can earn money by net metering,” replied Ethel.
Same in California, if they have an excess energy from their solar panels the utility company will use it and at the end of the year they receive the payment. That's how the homeowners can earn money by net metering. Charot! https://t.co/aMw50LPQoA
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) September 3, 2018
Solar energy’s main advantage is that it is renewable and accessible since the solar system is the source of energy. But a major hindrance is the initial costs, such as paying for the solar panels, inverter and installation.
Over the years, the cost of solar energy has been falling, such that the International Renewable Energy Agency expects it to become as cheap as fossil fuels by 2020.
To encourage citizens to make the switch to solar, some governments such as the UK have incentives including paying citizens for generating their own electricity and buying unused electricity. It seems to have been effective, as the World Wildlife Fund recognized 2017 as the country’s “greenest year ever” for relying on renewable energy. /ra
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