Sunlabob in Laos rents solar power systems so should U.S. companies
It’s sad when one of the best solar marketing concepts comes from a third world country, but Laos has the best idea yet. Just like satellite TV, you don’t buy the equipment, you rent it. That’s right, the solar company provides the solar panels for a monthly rental fee so there are no huge up front costs.
Sunlabob, provides solar thermal and photovoltaic systems to low income residents. The residents then pay a monthly fee based on the size and configuration of the solar power system.
This actually would not be very different than those of us that use propane and have a tank placed on our property. The tank is rented and the fuel is bought. So the monthly fee includes both the rental and usage amount.
With the rising cost of fuel oil and electricity, providing low cost rentable solar power on a could actually provide a good business model for solar companies while greatly reducing the energy costs of both the individual family and community.
One reason why many of us have not taken the plunge into solar is the cost. Sure you might qualify for a rebate but you have to have the bucks up front first. At a cost of $15,000 to $30,000, most people just can’t afford it. For people who could benefit the most, low income and rural families, solar isn’t even on their radar.
Every week it seems that there are at least two new breakthroughs either in the manufacture or composition of solar products. Why isn’t there a breakthrough in the business model?
So why isn’t someone taking a page from the satellite TV companies who realized that renting the equipment made a lot more sense than waiting for people to buy huge ugly dishes, and unaffordable ugly dishes at that.
Ok, who’s willing to give rentable solar a trial run?
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