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Uploaded: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 5:30 PM

Solar contractor arrested, charged with fraud
Peter Be, 38, facing 18 years in prison for bilking homeowners in Santa Clara County

by Sue Dremann
Palo Alto Online Staff

Posted by Outside Observer, a resident of another community, on Jun 24, 2009 at 6:00 pm

I've got to give this crook credit for a well thought out scam.

Anyone gullible enough to think Solar Energy is anything more than an expensive fad is gullible enough to fall for a con job.

Posted by Mike, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 24, 2009 at 11:59 pm

To Outside Observer,

Your comment just shows your own bias against solar energy as clearly this scam was not 'well though out.'

Posted by Al Gore's Brain, a resident of another community, on Jun 25, 2009 at 12:17 am

Solar Energy at the current level of technology is a scam.

As for me I am waiting for the all-in-one solar electric, thermal, rainwater harvesting. laundry folding, and liver transplant technology.

Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jun 25, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Walter_E_Wallis is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

The real scammers are the politicians who, with their grant sucking "scientists" abetting, are causing this whole denial of energy to the public farce. If this guy gets 8 to 10, then the LibLudds deserve the rope. "The law doth punish man or woman, who steals the goose from off the common, but lets the greater felon loose, who steals the common from the goose.

Posted by Outside Observer, a resident of another community, on Jun 25, 2009 at 7:36 pm

Mike,

Wrong. It doesn't show my bias against Solar Energy, but it does show my bias against liberals who jump at any fad the Dems promulgate. Yes, it wasn't "thought out" well enough to get past the SC DA, but he did scam a lot of libs, and per the article, they expect more to be coming out soon.

There is that old saying: "A Conservative is a liberal who hasn't been mugged yet". Well the victims of this scammer have been mugged.

Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jun 26, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Walter_E_Wallis is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

Water has been heated by solar since 1909 at the Lick telescope site. The freeway emergency phone system is solar powered. Wind has a long history pumping water at isolated watering holes. Geothermal energy, when applied intelligently, has dome well at the Geysers.

When any process is objectively analyzed its applicability for a particular function can be determined.

Posted by Outside Observer, a resident of another community, on Jun 26, 2009 at 6:02 pm

Walter,

When my kids were young, I heated their dough-boy pool with a used solar setup I got for free. It was a failed commercial potable water system. Just couldn't compete with a natural gas water heater. Even with the solar panels, the pump cost me ~$30/month in electricity, and that was almost 2 decades ago. Would I have bought it, no. A $2000 heater for a $200 pool.....

My garden lights are solar powered. They work well, but every couple of years I have to replace the hazardous NiCd batteries inside.

The use time vs charge time make solar emergency phones cost effective as compared to running grid electricity to remote sites.

However, solar-voltaic does not compete with grid power even in the most optimized amortizations schemes. Nor will it, even under cap-and-trade.

The politicians will squander away the trillions in taxes under cap-and-trade. Squander it away on what ever the latest fad is. In terms of solar power, there is one aspect I wish they would fund for research. The power source of the Sun. Nuclear Fusion.

Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jun 27, 2009 at 12:50 am
Walter_E_Wallis is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

I am investing in rickshaw franchises.

Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jun 27, 2009 at 11:44 am
Walter_E_Wallis is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

Solar contractor arrested, charged with fraud, appointed Solar Cap & Trade Czar.