Apparently, Mayor Menino is announcing a $550,000 initiative today to make Boston a solar city, whatever that means. The info, from boston.com, is pretty sketchy, such as where the money comes from and just what it does.

One of the measures being announced is the installation at Fenway of a solar hot water system, which, of course, you read here first. Is the money being spent on that, or perhaps the subsidies going for that, included in the $550,000? It doesn't say.

The other detail mentioned is an effort to map which city roofs will be suitable for solar panels.

I have to say I'm coming more under the sway of those who say that solar, while visible and therefore of value to those who want to be seen as being green, is not the best expenditure for efficiency. That would be money given to making buildings as tight as they possibly can be, so that the energy doesn't have to be purchased or produced in the first place. Then, if there's money still left for solar, its cost-benefit will be much more attractive because the same amount will provide a much higher percentage of energy needed.

I'm not against solar. I'm just saying that everyone has limited resources, and you can save more by saving, compared with a new way of generating.