Affordable solar power. Supposedly

[Lao Tzu]

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=116&art_id=vn20060211110132138C184427

I think it costs $1.50 a watt and uses some 4 metal alloy instead of silicon. If it works of course and isn't another fluke.

 

[fistfullofsteel]

the nazi, facist, commie pigs in the energy industry will find a way to squash it.

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

that's pretty cool. I'd buy one.

or more.

 

[Hengst]

I think a solar panel should be mounted on the roof of every home in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida and Texas. Even if they were only used for running air conditioning, imagine the energy consumption saved.

If any one has ever flown into LA all you see is a sea of flat asphault roofs. Just THINK of the unused energy potential.


I would make this a part of my energy independance program if elected president.

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

Considering about 99.999999% of the energy in our solar system comes form the Sun, this is way overdue.

One clearly sees the effect of politics on progress when considering this issue.

 

[GoldenDelicious]

airconditioning is 60% of my bill, and i turn it off...now and again

id install a few of those just for daytime aircon. anyone got pricing?

 

[SlimJim52]

$1.50 / Watt? I would hope you mean Kilo Watt. Current electric prices are running from $.09 to about $.35 / Kilo Watt. that is 1000 watts / hour. Even if you meant KW/Hr, $1.5 isn't really affordable.

 

[GoldenDelicious]

$1.50 / Watt? I would hope you mean Kilo Watt. Current electric prices are running from $.09 to about $.35 / Kilo Watt. that is 1000 watts / hour. Even if you meant KW/Hr, $1.5 isn't really affordable.

i get the feeling that he's talking about capacity to produce current ie $1.50 to get enough panels to produce one watt an hour/day, $1500 to produce one kilowatt per hour/day bla bla bla

still would like to see what an avereage install would cost.

 

[Lao Tzu]

i get the feeling that he's talking about capacity to produce current ie $1.50 to get enough panels to produce one watt an hour/day, $1500 to produce one kilowatt per hour/day bla bla bla

still would like to see what an avereage install would cost.

http://cooltech.iafrica.com/features/508857.htm

That says about $1.60 per watt production, which I assume is 1 watt/hour. Not bad considering that an average apartment uses maybe 30 kwh a day, that would only cost about $4000 for the panels. Even if this technology works it'll be several years before we get it. I have no idea what the start up costs are or the maintenance costs. If they are high then it won't really matter.

 

[bluepeter]

Every home should have solar panels. Every unused field should have acres of windmills. Long overdue.

 

[Lao Tzu]

Every home should have solar panels. Every unused field should have acres of windmills. Long overdue.

Eventually we'll reach a point where we don't even have panels. We'll just have a coating that absorbs sunlight and makes energy. THat is another good selling point of this new technology. Since it is only 5 microns thick they can make a thin film out of it instead of having large solar panels, eventually they may even be able to make a housepaint that is made of solar panels. At least eventually that is a goal. But that is decades away. In the article they talk about hoping to coat windows with these solar panes, you can see through and still get energy.

 

[gab9681]

Shit, the guys in the building next door sell solar systems for ~$10K and they are enough to cover the whole house and turn back the meter to the electric co. We have one on our building and a couple others in the area.

 

[UA_Iron]

Doubtful that anything will happen with this.

Nuclear powerplants will make a resurgence soon.

I actually interviewed with a nuclear powerplant today.

 

[wootoom]

ive got alot of money tied up in a stock for solar energy

 

[DJ_UFO]

I'd buy that system. and BTW, the government should offer green card to those guys.

 

[Ish]

I always thought one of the big problems and cost with solar was more the storage batteries than the panels themselves. I could be way off though.