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Solar happenings
- Thread starter vfx
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JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Regarding Solyndra:
Those don't sound like inexpensive materials to build with, not to mention I believe Nanosolar is in competition for the same elements for their thin film panels.
Concentrating Solar Power (“CSP”) is a core climate solution, indirect dry cooling systems (also known as “Heller” systems) will be a crucial enabling technology, since large-scale CSP will be located in desert regions.
Climate Progress » Blog Archive » The secret to low-water-use, high-efficiency concentrating solar power
Climate Progress » Blog Archive » The secret to low-water-use, high-efficiency concentrating solar power
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That's what most folks tend to think... but that's normally because they don't take all the benefits into account. I can't think of many other investments that immediately and consistently pay you back - tax free - just about forever. The folks who took out some investment money to buy their PV systems last year - couldn't image a better investment. Most folks found more of their money vaporized than they paid for their systems.
And a final note - my payback period was *instant*. The moment I turned my system on, I started saving money. This is due to having an EV and Time of Use Metering. I couldn't have afforded to NOT have PV.
You and me both, brother!
The payback would be much quicker if the price of using coal wasn't artificially cheap. The way it works now the coal industry doesn''t pay the cost of destroying mountains or the cost of using the atmosphere to dump their pollution. That's how corporations work in general, externalize costs, internalize profits.
Still, most people wouldn't buy solar without incentive money because you have to pay all the cost up front and get paid back later. Our society encourages just the opposite behavior; get instant gratification now, pay for it later, or maybe not at all.
Still, most people wouldn't buy solar without incentive money because you have to pay all the cost up front and get paid back later. Our society encourages just the opposite behavior; get instant gratification now, pay for it later, or maybe not at all.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
I can't remember the name but there is a company that will install panels for you with no upfront costs, you just lock in a monthly rate with them for a contracted period of time.
graham
Active Member
The power in my neighborhood is kind of lousy. With a PV/Battery system I started a return on investment immediately on the electronic equipment I was not having to replace due to brownouts.
Not to mention the convenience of always having power -- certainly that is worth something above and beyond just the lack of having to pay electric bills.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Neat, but some obvious short comings. The poor efficiency will be even worse on a vertical surface, and the lifespan will have to increase dramatically before anyone starts building them into windows.
graham
Active Member
If they end up being inexpensive enough, it could be a nice supplement to typical rooftop PV. Their efficiency is too low to replace todays PV of course, but if your rooftop surface area is already 100% used by PV, this could be a way to extend your surface area somewhat.
SByer
'08 #383
Wasn't there that MIT tech a while back that coated the glass on both sides to channel the right wavelengths to the edge, where traditional high-efficiency cells could be? Wonder where that's at in the productization pipeline.
graham
Active Member
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