Harry Thomason - Solar Energy
(Page 9 of 13)
November/December 1979
By Richard Freudenberger
PLOWBOY: Well, now the economics of your system seems to make sense. But the case you just spoke of concerned a fairly expensive residence. What about those "starter" homes that are available, or any equally low or moderately priced dwelling? Can Solaris compete with "economy" competitors?
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THOMASON: Certainly. In New Jersey, for example, one of our licensees-a builder-gave his customers an option on heating systems . . . the homes with conventional units would sell for $33,000 as opposed to $34,000 for those equipped with the Solaris. Of course, once you calculate the tax credits, the solar houses are actually the less expensive of the two choices!
PLOWBOY: You implied that licenses are available to folks who might want to build your homes . . . can you go into more detail about that program?
THOMASON: Yes, we issue licenses to builders in order to maintain the quality of our system. Potential licensees attend one of our training seminars and-if they're accepted into the program-they must sign a two-year contract with us. This guarantees the public that such a firm is reputable. And that "warranty" is good for us and good for the whole solar movement.
PLOWBOY: What does the license authorize the firms to do?
THOMASON: They can handle just about anything they want that's within our patents: A company may choose to manufacture panels or parts, work just with installation and service, or build complete homes using our systems. If a licensed company wants to change the design somewhere, of course, it must consult with us . . . but again, that's just to guarantee quality. If the change is good, we'll approve it.
PLOWBOY: The licensing plan sounds good from your side of the fence, but what does it do for the public?
THOMASON: For one thing, it reduces costs by eliminating the middleman, and -for another-it provides an incentive to get more solar systems built . . . which is good for all of us!
PLOWBOY: Dr. Thomason, I've heard reports that you're something of a fanatic . . . that you have unorthodox ways of getting your message across to people. How do you respond to such criticism?
THOMASON: Well, if my "critics" mean that I'm a fanatic when it comes to promoting solar energy, they may be right. I believe that I have something very important to say, and I'll say it . . . one way or another. I've been bombarding the press and badgering the government for quite a few years now, and I'll continue to do so till the job gets done.
PLOWBOY: What exactly do you mean by "badgering the government"? What has it done to merit the attack of the Thomason gadfly?
THOMASON: It's not what the bureaucrats in Washington have done, it's what they did not do. They didn't publicize their findings on our low-cost system until recently, nor did they tell the entire truth after all the trouble they went to.
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