Benezet used to stand outside meetinghouses on First Day and, as people came out, he had a bladder of pigs blood up his sleeve. He’d dump the bladder onto his hands and talk about the blood being on Friends’ hands.

Woolman had bad dreams about slavery, and he eventually found that he couldn’t write a bill of sale for a slave. He could have stopped there and he would have been a storekeeper for all of his life, but he changed his trade so that he could spend the rest of his life traveling and worshiping with Friends with a concern for shunning slavery. The Truth is true for everyone equally, and Truth is spread through love and through patient suffering. In this way, hearers become equally passionate advocates for the same Truth.

In the end, Woolman and his prayerful mission was recognized as succeeding. The few last American Friends who wouldn’t get out of the slavery business were disowned. Then people of other denominations started to take up the cry. Numbers of Friends were moved to assist in the Underground Railroad. In 1865 slavery was made unconstitutional.

Numbers of Friends are already abhorred of catastrophic climate change. The early train on this movement has already left the station and the second train is boarding now. At this point we’re looking for more effective tactical positions toward the rapid spread of climate change abolitionism. You’re right to note the importance of moving hearts.

Anyway, inverters are generally warranty for 10 to 12 years, although most also offer a 20 to 25 year extended warranty. Most micro-inverters come with a 25 year warranty. For instance, google up “enphase warranty” (or enecsys, sparq, etc).

For long-term predictions, some suggest that panel lifetimes on the order of 100 years should be considered. 40 years is more typical. But here’s some good reading:

Solar Photovoltaics: Competing in the Energy Marketplace

http://solar.gwu.edu/Research/EnergyPolicy_Zweibel2010.pdf

http://howsolarworks.1bog.org/how-long-do-solar-panels-last/

http://www.supsi.ch/isaac/fotovoltaico/pv-module-performance/pubblicazioni/per-tema/module-testing.html

You mention money. How much?

I am also a retired college teacher who has taught communication and given a number of workshops, most recently around Nonviolent Communication issues. (Marshall Rosenberg http://www.cnvc.org )

Here are some ideas that I take to be saying the same thing:
Quakers – there is that of God in every person and we are called to speak to that of God in everyone
Maslow – our basic core motivator is a hunger for self-actualization which includes service to others
Ken Keyes – “Behind all of our thoughts, feelings, and actions, we always have beneficial positive intentions (even though we may sometimes use unskillful ways to achieve them.)”

When I can hold that awareness and see the honorable intention at the core of every person’s every action, I have had many amazing connections across major differences. When we connect at that level, we can work together to solve problems. Do I hold that center regularly? No. Then I get into “I am right, you are wrong/stupid/stubborn/greedy” discussions that I think add to the problem instead of contributing to building bridges. I frequently get really overwhelmed by my fear around climate change and the best I can offer is my silence.

Social science offers that most of our views on political issues are emotion-based, not logic-based, and therefore arguing logic with someone is generally a waste of time. We all literally process ideas we perceive as Republican or Democrat based in different parts of our brain.

I aspire to be open to leadings and I aspire to let go of my attachment to the fruits of my labors. When I am centered, I recall that how I live each day is my responsibility, not whether my actions will make THE difference/ANY difference, concerning climate change. I would not call this optimism or pessimism. Sometimes I feel hopeful that we will create another way of being together; other times, I am not very hopeful. Then I do my small actions with fear and pain in my heart as I imagine a greatly diminished quality of living for the upcoming generations in future days.

Greg Craven, a science teacher who has written the most helpful book I know on climate change, advocates for “Rosie-ism” after Rosie the Riveter, to roll up one’s sleeves and get busy with neither optimism or pessimism. He also suggests several potentially helpful tactics in influencing others. I highly recommend his book (as does Bill McKibben, General Anthony Zinni, and others). What’s the Worst That Could Happen? A Rational Response to the Climate Change Debate.