I liked reading this article for several reasons. It clearly identified a solution that New York City can implement to improve both the quality of life, in terms of people saving money, and also result in less pollution/be more environmentally-friendly. It does a great job outlining the barriers that prevent the city from switching to the solar thermal systems. The lack of awareness is understandable because there are many people who don’t know about most of the projects the city is undertaking, and there needs to be a way to change that. I think that the benefits provided by this system easily outweigh the costs (for example, it talks about how this creates jobs). However, the lack of financing and lack of incentive are what really contribute to the lack of change. It’s disappointing to read how after conducting these experiments, and having people see significant changes in how the buildings operate and save money, to still have them hesitant to implement the solar thermals. They need to be given economic incentive — as seen from the chart, if they’re given funding they’re more likely to pay back for the systems quicker and to actually install them. Furthermore, it’s also important to note how people may react to having to install the solar panels on their roofs. We have companies promoting the installation of solar panels for energy, and not many people are switching over. Is it because they aren’t aware of the benefits, or is it because they think these solar panels take away from the aesthetics of the city? (Which doesn’t make sense because the panels go on the roof, and you can’t even see the roof unless you have access to — in which case, surround the panels with plants? I digress.) Additionally, the article states that some areas require more of these panels to provide the same amount of energy. However, I think that the buildings that are able to function on the least amount of these panels should be the first ones to install them. As we find new and better ways of improving technology, this goes to say that once we start developing and looking further into how to best maximize the utility of the panels, we’ll be able to alter them in such a way the best suits the area where they need to be installed.
Overall, I think that this idea can provide long-term benefits to New York City, and people need to realize that instead of focusing on installation costs and any other costs associated with this.
