Not hot on solar powerI’m sure this...

Not hot on solar power

I’m sure this is about as un-P.C. as your readers get. But I haven’t been waiting for the cost of solar systems to go down before buying such a system for my house [“Skies to Brighten for Solar?” March 13]. Rather, I’ve been waiting for the associated roof panels to become less of an assault on the eye.

There is nothing worse than an otherwise lovely home with ugly photovoltaic cell panels crying out, “I’m here, ruining the entire aesthetic of this dwelling, and perhaps even the beauty of the entire neighborhood!”

Architecture is significant, if not as significant as the responsible use of energy and our natural resources. This is the aspect that I believe will ultimately doom the widespread residential application of solar energy.

Sid Paris

Long Beach

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My husband and I read with great interest this past week’s story on solar power. We have often talked about installing a solar-powered panel on the southern-facing portion of our roof, but unfortunately it’s still too costly. After carefully calculating all the numbers, we figured it would take us a little more than 10 years to pay off a 2.5-kilowatt system, and that’s after the state and city rebates.

Until the price of the technology comes down, it just doesn’t make economic sense to most homeowners, no matter how “green” they’d like to be.

Christina Tinglof

Glendale

The charade of insurance

I know that, to remain relevant, all languages need to change and keep pace with growing and inventive societies. However, I’m puzzled as to certain definitions. In particular, I wonder when the word “insurance” lost its meaning. (“State Loses Bid to Curb ‘Use It and Lose It,’ ” March 6.)

In the past, premiums were paid to a company to insure a house, property, ship or other possessions against the risk of fire, theft or other loss. Too many of these occurrences might be deemed careless or be considered suspicious and result in raised policy rates or insurance refusal.

Today, however, things are different. One may have paid various premiums for 10, 20 or many more years with never a claim until one day a pipe breaks, an electrical fire occurs, the whatever-can-happen finally does, and after the fight for redress is finally won, no more insurance can be had (or if it can, at an unaffordable price).

So it would seem that the word insurance and the business itself are now meaningless and perhaps both should be stricken from our lives. The companies that survive will surely continue to invest their money in real estate, stocks and all the things they presently do without needing to pretend an interest in safeguarding the hard-to-come-by possessions of a hoodwinked, greatly abused, angry and frustrated public, which in time might find an affordable way to self- or cooperatively insure.

Eleanor Jackson

Palm Springs

Buyers supplying plenty of demand

Somewhat like the comment “That place is so crowded no one goes there anymore” is the often-repeated phrase “Houses are so expensive no one can afford to buy.” That’s not correct. It is demand for houses that makes prices rise. Houses are so expensive because people can afford to pay an ever-higher price for a home.

When a buyer stops paying the ever-increasing price, the seller will accept a lower price. If buyers had resisted when the median price was $100,000, the median price of $300,000 or $500,000 would never have been reached.

Jim Humberd

Burbank