Decentralized solar energy and the electric utilities

The current financial and political climate dictates that the electric utilities pursue all options open to them in answering their mandate to serve. One of these options is the use of decentralized solar energy sources. However, questions of economics and reliability currently inhibit the widespread commercial implementation of these technologies. There are important solar-utility interface issues that remain to be resolved. These include rate structures for solar users, both solar system and utility system reliability, and utility financing of solar systems. Three utility solar programs, presently in the early stages of development, are attempting to deal with these issues and demonstrate the viability of solar water heating systems as an energy source.