Green Tags vs. Home Solar Panels: What’s the Best Way to Stimulate Renewable Energy? There is some debate about the most efficient way to support renewable energy: with green tags or home solar panels and other clean energy projects. EarthTalk is a Q&A column from E/The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: I’d like to know the relative electricity cost of utility scale solar and wind plants versus rooftop residential solar. In other words, how can I know whether to subsidize my utility’s alternative energy plant or renovate my own home? — Randy Wilson, Flagstaff, AZ Making such a determination is complex, but you could start with ‘In My Backyard,’ a new online tool by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). You first need to know your electricity usage and what size solar photovoltaic (PV) system or wind turbine you could install. Then, using Google Earth maps and data on the amounts of sunshine and wind at your location, the tool will estimate the electricity you could get from a certain size wind turbine or PV array installed on your property. The costs to install renewable energy systems vary greatly by location, warn researchers at the Lawrence […]