The unfortunate and often overlooked truth about solar panels is that it takes more energy and pollution to make them than they are able to save and
prevent over their normal useful life.
I would have to agree with you there..
At a current cost of 25 to 50 cents per kilowatt-hour, solar power is significantly more expensive than conventional electrical power for
residences. Average U.S. residential power prices are less than ten cents per kilowatt-hour, according to experts.
But I got to believe more research and development in this field will lead to lower costs..
Because there isn't enough surface area of the globe available to effectively convert sun light into enough usable energy. Even solar/wind/wave
combined would barely provide about 30% of our energy needs.
Well the idea is we make solar more efficient..Seems like we could be headed that way now..
With further advances, the new plastic "could allow up to 30 percent of the sun's radiant energy to be harnessed, compared to 6 percent in
today's best plastic solar cells," said Peter Peumans, a Stanford University electrical engineering professor,
Thats just solar..
"If we could cover 0.1 percent of the Earth's surface with [very efficient] large-area solar cells," he said, "we could in principle replace
all of our energy habits with a source of power which is clean and renewable."
I'm not saying solar is the answer today..With these possible advances..It very well could be 10+ years from now..
This is just solar electric P.V.. We already know that solar water heating is very efficient DHW,Pool and radiant/area heating..This type of solar can
have a very quick payback..
[edit on 3/4/2007 by gotanybob]
