<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Presumably most solar contractors benefit from increased sales due to the availability of a 30% federal tax credit. Arguably, that's not the same thing as "receiving public funds," but the net effect is the same. My point is simply that as an industry we are dependent upon public support and a variety direct and indirect subsidies. That raises questions about accountability, about how those funds are being spent. The best thing that we can do as an industry is strive to adopt best practices that are beyond reproach, equivalent standards for other trades, and ideally defensible in a <i>court of law </i>in the event that things go south for whatever reason. (Forget the bureaucrats in the city, it's the lawyers who capitalize on construction negligence claims. The last one on the roof is the first one blamed. Often, we're the last ones on the roof.)</div><div><br></div><div><div>On Jul 4, 2012, at 10:31 AM, <<a href="mailto:mark@hurshtown.com">mark@hurshtown.com</a>> <<a href="mailto:mark@hurshtown.com">mark@hurshtown.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div><span style="font-family:Verdana; color:#000000; font-size:10pt;"><div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" mce_style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" mce_style="font-size: 10pt;"><span mce_style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " mce_style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important; float: none; " mce_style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); " mce_style="color: #0000ff;">"Most solar contractors receive public funds"</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both; " mce_style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" mce_style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;" mce_style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" mce_style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" mce_style="font-size: 10pt;"><span mce_style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " mce_style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll have to take issue with that one. I know of no such contractors in my part of the US.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" mce_style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;" mce_style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;"><span style="color: #0000ff;" mce_style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" mce_style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" mce_style="font-size: 10pt;"><span mce_style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " mce_style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" mce_style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;" mce_style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; " mce_style="color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; "><span style="color: #0000ff;" mce_style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" mce_style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" mce_style="font-size: 10pt;"><span mce_style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " mce_style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">"The issue isn't whether your approach works, but whether it is defensible in the event that something leaks."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" mce_style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;" mce_style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; " mce_style="color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; "><span style="color: #0000ff;" mce_style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" mce_style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #000000;" mce_style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" mce_style="font-size: 10pt;"><span mce_style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';" style="font-family: 'arial black', 'avant garde';"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; " mce_style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Our "redneck" methods may not satisfy the big city folks, but no failures in 20 years means more to our customers than satisfying some bureaucrat's requirements.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" mce_style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;" mce_style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; clear: both;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; " mce_style="color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; display: inline !important; float: none; "><span style="color: #0000ff;" mce_style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" mce_style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); " mce_style="color: #000000;"><br></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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