Amandla elanga ayadlondlobala ezweni lonke, kuhlanganise nase-Indiana.Izinkampani ezinjengoCummins no-Eli Lilly zifuna ukunciphisa i-carbon footprint yazo.Izinsiza ziqeda izindawo zokuphehla amandla kagesi ngamalahle futhi esikhundleni sazo zifake ongavuselelekayo.
Kodwa lokhu kukhula akukhona nje ngezinga elikhulu kangaka.Abanikazi bezindlu badinga amandla elanga nabo.Bafuna ukunciphisa izikweletu zabo zikagesi, bafuna ukusebenzisa amandla ahlanzekile.
Kule minyaka emibili edlule, le ntshisekelo inyuke kakhulu.Ngesikhathi sobhubhane, amakhaya amaningi asebenzisa ugesi omningi ezindlini zawo futhi abheke ukucisha omunye wawo ngamandla elanga.
Ngalesi sikhathi, uhlelo lukahulumeni lwe-net metering, olunikeza abanikazi bamandla elanga izikweletu zamandla abuyiselwe kugridi, nalo luyashabalala.Konke kwasusa umsindo, kusho uZach Schalk, umqondisi wezinhlelo zeSolar United Neighbors e-Indiana.
“Ngeshwa, ngingasho ukuthi le yinto evele yagqama ekhanda lami ngesikhathi se-COVID,” kusho yena.
Kungakho, kulolu hlelo lwe-Scrub Hub, sisusa inkohliso yelanga.Ake siphendule imibuzo elandelayo: iyini?Ungazithola kanjani?
Sikhulume neSchalke futhi saphendukela ezinsizeni ezihlukahlukene ezifana neBusiness Business Bureau ukuze sinikeze amaNdiya konke adinga ukukwazi ngale mikhonyovu.
Ngakho-ke uyini ngempela umkhonyovu welanga?NgokukaSchalke, ngokuvamile lobu buqili buzibonakalisa ngokwemibandela yezezimali.
Izinkampani zisebenzisa ithuba lokuphela kwe-net metering kanye nokungaqiniseki ngezintela ezintsha zamakhasimende ophahleni lwelanga.
“Abantu abaningi bazama ukuthola amandla elanga ngaphambi komnqamulajuqu we-net metering.Ngakho-ke uma kunezikhangiso yonke indawo noma kufika umuntu emnyango wakho, lesi yisixazululo esilula,” kusho uSchalke."Kwakukhona umuzwa wokuphuthuma, ngakho abantu bavele bagijima."
Izinkampani eziningi zithembisa ukufakwa kwe-solar okunezindleko eziphansi noma kwamahhala, ziheha abanikazi bezindlu ukuthi bangene, ikakhulukazi amaNdiya ahola kancane naphakathi.Lapho sebelapho, abafakeli belanga “baqondisa abantu emikhiqizweni yabo yezezimali, evame ukuba ngaphezu kwamazinga emakethe,” kusho uSchalke.
E-Indiana, amandla elanga okuhlala abiza u-$2 kuya ku-$3 ngewathi ngayinye.Kodwa ngokusho kukaSchalk, lokho kubiza ukukhuphuka kuya ku-$5 noma ngaphezulu nge-watt ngayinye ngenxa yemikhiqizo yezezimali yezinkampani kanye nezindleko ezengeziwe.
"Khona-ke amaNdiya avalelwe kuleyo nkontileka," esho.“Ngakho akubona nje abanikazi bezindlu abasenazo izikweletu zikagesi, kodwa bangakhokha ngaphezu kwezikweletu zabo zikagesi nyanga zonke.”
I-Better Business Bureau isanda kukhipha isexwayiso somkhonyovu exwayisa abantu ngemikhonyovu yamandla elanga.I-bureau ithe ama-reps anikezela "ngamaphaneli elanga amahhala" empeleni "kukudla isikhathi esiningi."
I-BBB ixwayisa ngokuthi ngezinye izikhathi izinkampani nazo zidinga ukukhokhelwa kusengaphambili, iqinisekisa abanikazi bezindlu ukuthi bazonxeshezelwa ngohlelo lukahulumeni olungekho.
Nakuba ingxenye yezezimali iyinto evamile kakhulu eheha abantu abaningi, kukhona namacala abhalwe kahle lapho abakhohlisi belandela ulwazi lomuntu siqu noma abantu benezinkinga zokufakwa kwamaphaneli ezingezinhle nezokuphepha.
Izinkinga kukho kokubili uxhaso nokufakwa zingabonakala nge-Pink Energy, ngaphambili eyayaziwa ngokuthi i-Power Homes Solar.I-BBB isithole izikhalo ezingaphezu kuka-1,500 ngale nkampani eminyakeni emithathu edlule, kanti izifundazwe eziningi ziphenya i-Pink Energy, evalwe ngasekupheleni kwenyanga edlule ngemuva kweminyaka eyisishiyagalombili isebenza.
Amaklayenti aboshelwa izinkontileka ezibizayo zezimali, akhokhela ama-solar angasebenzi futhi angakhiqizi ugesi njengoba ayethembisile.
Lawa maqola angaziveza ngezindlela ezahlukene.Kuzoba nokuthunyelwe okuningi nezikhangiso mayelana namadili ahlukahlukene ku-inthanethi nasezinkundleni zokuxhumana, eziningi zazo ezidinga ukuthi ufake imininingwane yokuxhumana kanye nolwazi lomuntu siqu ukuze uthole imininingwane eyengeziwe.
Ezinye izindlela zihlanganisa izingcingo noma ngisho nokungqongqoza komuntu siqu emnyango okwenziwa ummeleli.USchalke uthe indawo yakhe igcwele izinkampani ezenza lokhu - uze ungqongqoze emnyango wakhe, naphezu kokuthi ama-solar asevele ebonakala ophahleni lwakhe.
Kungakhathalekile ukuthi iyiphi indlela, uSchalke uthe kunamafulegi amaningana abomvu angasiza abanikazi bezindlu babone le mikhonyovu.
Into yokuqala axwayisa ngayo ukukhangisa ngaphandle kwenkampani noma igama lomkhiqizo.Uma nje kuwukujwayelekile kakhulu futhi kuthembisa idili elikhulu lelanga, lokho kuwuphawu oluhle kakhulu lwejeneretha eholayo, esho.Yilapho ufaka khona imininingwane yakho ukuze izinkampani zixhumane nawe futhi zizame ukukudayisela umshini wokufaka amandla elanga.
U-Schalk uphinde axwayise nganoma yimiphi imilayezo noma izimemezelo ezithi inkampani inezinhlelo ezikhethekile noma ibambisana nenkampani yakho yosizo.E-Indiana, insiza ayinikezi izinhlelo ezikhethekile noma ubudlelwano bamandla elanga, esho.
Ngakho-ke, noma yini ehlobene nezinhlelo ezinjalo noma okuqukethwe okutholakala “emphakathini wakho kuphela” ayinembile.Konke ukudala umuzwa wokuphuthuma nokucindezela.
Lesi esinye isixwayiso okufanele sibhekwe, kusho uSchalke.Noma yini ebonakala inolaka kakhulu noma ephuthuma ukwenza isinqumo ngaso leso sikhathi akufanele ibe njalo.Izinkampani zizozama ukwenza lokhu ngokusho ukuthi ukunikezwa okuthile kutholakala kuphela isikhathi esilinganiselwe noma zizonikeza inketho eyodwa kuphela.
"Banenketho yoxhaso oluzenzakalelayo," kusho uSchalke, ngakho-ke uma ungazi ukuthi yini ongayicela, awukwazi ukuthola enye indlela.
Lokhu kungavumela abantu ukuthi benze izinqumo ngokuxhamazela ngaphandle kokwenza ucwaningo olwengeziwe noma bacabangele ukuthi azikho izinketho ezingcono.
Lokhu kwaholela uSchalke kwenye yezinto zokugcina okwakudingeka azinake: uphaya esibhakabhakeni.Lokhu kubandakanya izinto ezinjengokufakwa kwamahhala, izindleko eziphansi noma ukufakwa kwamahhala - konke okuklanyelwe ukuheha abanikazi bezindlu kodwa kuhlanekezele indlela esebenza ngayo.
Ngaphezu kokukwazi ukubona le mikhonyovu, kunezinto abanikazi bezindlu abangazenza ukuze bagweme ukuba yisisulu esisodwa.
I-BBB incoma ukuthi wenze ucwaningo lwakho.Izinhlelo zangempela zokukhuthaza kanye nezinkampani ezihlonishwayo zesola nosonkontileka zikhona, ngakho cwaninga isithunzi senkampani kanye nezinkampani zocwaningo endaweni yakini ngaphambi kokwamukela isipho esingaceliwe.
Baphinde bacebise abanikazi bezindlu ukuthi bahlale beqinile futhi banganqotshwa amaqhinga okuthengisa anengcindezi ephezulu.Izinkampani zizophusha futhi ziphoqe kuze kube yilapho zenza isinqumo, kodwa uSchalke uthe abanikazi bezindlu kufanele bathathe isikhathi sabo futhi bathathe isikhathi sabo ngoba yisinqumo esibalulekile.
I-BBB iphinde yeluleke abanikazi bezindlu ukuthi babhide.Bancoma ukuthi uxhumane nezifaki zephaneli yelanga endaweni futhi uthole izipesheli kuzo zonke - lokhu kuzosiza ukukhomba okunikezwayo okuvela ezinkampanini ezisemthethweni kanye nalezo ezingekho.USchalke uphinde uncome ukuthi uthole isipho esibhaliwe.
Phela, iseluleko esiyinhloko sikaSchalke ukubuza imibuzo eminingi.Buza nganoma yisiphi isici somnikelo noma inkontileka ongayiqondi.Uma bengaphenduli noma bengavumelani nombuzo, kuthathe njengefulegi elibomvu.U-Schalk futhi uncoma ukufunda nge-ROI eshiwo nokuthi babikezela kanjani inani lesistimu.
ISolar United Neighbors nayo iyinsiza okufanele bonke abanikazi bezindlu bayisebenzise, ​​kusho uSchalke.Ngisho noma ungasebenzi noma usebenzisa inhlangano, ungaxhumana nayo mahhala.
Iqembu futhi linekhasi eliphelele kuwebhusayithi yalo elinikezelwe ezinhlotsheni ezahlukahlukene zezinketho zezimali, ezingafaka phakathi umugqa wokulingana ekhaya wesikweletu noma ezinye izikweletu ezivikelekile.Ukuxhaswa ngezimali ngesifaki kusebenza kahle kwabanye, kusho uSchalke, kodwa konke kuza phansi ekuqondeni izinketho.
"Ngihlala ngincoma ukuthi ngibuyele emuva, ngithole izingcaphuno eziningi futhi ngibuze imibuzo," esho."Ungacabangi ukuthi inketho eyodwa iyodwa."
Please contact IndyStar Correspondent Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar environmental reporters: join The Scrub on Facebook.
I-IndyStar Environmental Reporting Project isekelwa ngokukhululekile inhlangano engenzi nzuzo i-Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.