"I wish them luck, but I doubt their claims."
Which of their claims do you doubt?
I remember being a 12 year old boy, taking apart selenium rectifiers from radios and connecting them in series to create a solar cell, long before silicon solar cells appeared.
The technology they're using is scientifically sound, and the new technique for creating the photovoltaic surface sounds promising.
I wouldn't discount this company at all.
Maybe this company will be the one that actually does it. Who knows? But, so far, all such claims have been expensive hot air.
My uncle met a scientist in Japan who is working on a durable coating for roads and parking lots that uses solar energy to produce electricity.
> The technology they're using is scientifically sound, and the new technique for creating the photovoltaic surface sounds promising.
> I wouldn't discount this company at all.
It's very exciting, really. Keep an eye out for an IPO in '08.
"I wouldn't discount this company at all."
As a working man conservative, I love Wal-Mart and can't wait for affordable solar energy that I can install for my own off grid living.
I'm encouraged by these efforts, every step forward is more fuel on the fire of free market forces, giving individual consumers choices on where from, and how they'll supply themselves with electricity.
Nuclear is great for the core of our nations energy needs, but there is plenty of room for more options for individuals and communities.
This one
"announced plans to build a production facility with the capacity to make enough solar cells annually to generate 430 megawatts."
Capacity is a weasel word used to prop up their numbers, capacity means yeah sure it will produce 430 megawatts if the earth stops rotating and the sun stays overhead 24-7-365
Typically solar falls below 25% of it's Capacity so we are really talking about 108 megawatts at most, the reality being much less.
Meanwhile, The Palo-Verde Nuclear power plant actually produces 3254 megawatts, so you would need a solar farm over 30x the size just to match one nuclear power plant.
In 1989 solar produced 0.011% of the USA's electricty, since then, even with all the billions in tax breaks, subsidies and grants spent on solar power 17 years later in 2004 it only produced 0.017%. Solar is a waste of time, it's a feel good measure that only makes a completely trivial contribution to addressing our electrical needs.
Yeah, I agree, whatever you said.
There are probably not too many of us who remember those orange colored stacks of square plates.