Posted on 03/27/2008 3:45:45 PM PDT by null and void
An electric company plans to install a huge patchwork of solar cells, 10 times bigger than any previous such installation, on more than 100 large rooftops around Southern California...
Edison’s order is roughly equal to all the solar cells produced in the United States last year...
Edison is under orders from the state to produce 20 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2010...
Finishing the $875 million project will take about five years, and it requires approval from state regulators....
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The State of Kaleeeeeeforneeya is requiring renewable sources, yet will put regulatory road blocks in the way.
Solar is a multi billion dollar industry and growing rapidly. It’s not cheap as oil or coal, but it’s happening.
How well do these panels work during the 30% period of actual sunshine for 4 months with a foot of snow on them in the Great Lakes region?
Nuclear!
So for me it is close to being worthwhile, but not quite there yet. There's supposed to be many new PV cell technologies coming on-line right now to reduce the cost per watt. There's been little information about the expected life of these new systems. We'll see.
A friend of ours did the research for Western Wisconsin some time ago and concluded that the angle of the sun and number of cloudy days precluded achieving enough measurable energy to make it feasible, here. From our own research, admittedly about 8 years ago, there are battery disposal problems and problems siting the batteries. There are also replacement battery costs to consider. A lot depends on your site and the roof angles available on your buildings.
No kidding. We got three feet of snow this winter, totally normal, and it is still here. Actually some snow is falling today. Temperature will be zero again every morning for the next week, so the snow will still be here in April, as usual.
If we adjust the mode of thought properly we will find that solar cell panels bring a degree of independence from accursed OPEC oil imports. It will cost more, which is to be expected.
Let’s hope Michigander.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080217/BIZ/802170318/-1/rss
“If we adjust the mode of thought properly.....”
Liberals would just LOVE to be able to adjust our thought modes to their liking.
$.37/KWh! That is a lot. I pay $.18 during ‘Peak Times’ and less than $.12 during off peak. If you use those costs, and take into account the inefficiency of Solar in Mich., Solar makes no economic sense and will not for the foreseeable future.
They try all the time, but they don’t understand Lacan and think it’s a science.
The long term financial rewards for this country would be staggering. It would lower the cost of production of everything. It would free up natural gas for home heating greatly reducing its cost. It would collapse the price of oil which would go a long ways towards defunding our enemies. With cheap plentiful electricity business will find a way to make practical electric cars. You can generate fuels if you like such as hydrogen and you can desalinate water on a large scale where clean water is a problem.
New ones are available that you can use for roof tiles, they are in fact roof tiles, including walking on them and they have a 25 year warranty both structural and electrical.
Electricity costs are based on how much you use. It starts out at about 12 cents a kWh and goes up from there. At 300% “lifeline” levels it is 37 cents a kWh. A normal family house has a hard time staying below lifeline levels. Larger houses with computers, air conditioning etc use a lot more...
If you look at those warranties, the ones I’ve seen anyway, they include a clause about how much reduction in power is normal and not covered under the warranty over that time period. The “acceptable” reduction in power production is often substantial and has to be factored in when figuring out the overall cost/benefit over that 25 years.
You may pay $0.18 now but the rats have plans to increase your rates to a value that makes solar eventually economical. Your foreseeable future does not account for the plans that the rats have. The rats are totally committed towards driving energy costs much higher to reduce consumption and enable their renewable energy partners.
Walking on them? Neat. Didn’t know that. Now living in a Detroit suburb my next question would be resiliency to gunfire.
Sure, but you can walk on these and they are tough and will survive, which is also warranteed 25 years.
Dunno. Might buy one and take it down to the range to see what is what. :)
FWIW:
http://www.solardaily.com/reports/Interest_In_Eagle_Solar_Roof_Powered_By_Open_Energy_SolarSave_Integrated_Solutions_Soars_999.html
... Solana Beach CA (SPX) Mar 26, 2008
Open Energy has announced that sales of the Eagle Solar Roof are quickly gaining momentum nationwide. The Eagle Solar Roof powered by Open Energy’s SolarSave Integrated Solutions provides an environmentally sound and beautiful way for homeowners to save on their electricity costs.
I have even lived in snow country, and I have never heard of it.
More to the point. What is that “snow” thing you talk about.
Dude...That's just wrong. Have you applied for relief from the UN or your local congresscritter? Perhaps if they would pass a law?
You California people.....
http://www.roofrake.com/Productpages/roofrakesummary.asp
Everyday is considered a New Year.
No idea. Seems academic to me, as no one with a lick of sense would live in a place like that.
$0.37 In Michigan?? Where???? Consumers is about $0.099
I think you misspelled ‘abuse’...
During Peak (10-7 Weekdays) the rate is .062/kwh
Off peak the rate is .0265/kwh
Of course there are delivery and admin charges added but they amount to about .01/kwh
Sorry. But these much lower rates make my point even more valid. Solar doesn't cut it in Mich on a purely economic basis and will not for a very, very long time.
Never would be a better guess. I lived in Indonesia -7 deg. I built a solar collector for hot water. ~4’ x 8’ x 4” black collector with copper tube loops. Had a 4’ x 4’ x 4’ water tank on roof. Blazing sun every day. Ran a pump circulating water through the coil 13 hrs /day. Water got just warm enough so I could stand it.
37 cents per kw/h? That is insane, I pay less than 10 cents per kw/h.
Earth based solar panels don’t have to be nearly as lightweight and fragile as those in space.
Did you notice he's in Caleeeeeeeforneeeeya?
It's the typical liberal penalize people for needing stuff attitude.
37¢ per kw/hr isn't the base rate, it's the equivalent of the highest marginal tax rate applied to energy, because, like making too much money, using too much energy is eeeeeeeevil.
I lived in Pasir Putih about 160 km East of Surabaya. Worked on the Paiton power plant. Was there for 3.5 years. I loved it. Wonderful place and people.
Yeah, my home has all sorts of strange wood carvings and other artifacts from Asia. I've even got the 1974 Toyota Landcruiser I bought to escape my car and driver on the weekends. Yes, I actually got my license (After paying numerous ‘Fees’) and was able to thwart the surveillance to some extent.
Worked with the Ministry of Finance restructuring the banking system, primarily Bank Negara Indonesia and Bank Indonesia working with Booz, Allen & Hamilton.
I too got a license there. Had a Toyota Kijang and a Land Rover. I got very tired of my driver risking my life every five minutes so I stuck out on my own. Very, very good idea.
When I had time I went island hopping in car an ferries.
I was amazed at the level of what we call corruption. Bribes, bribes, bribes. Everywhere. I used to carry around big sums of money in bags to pay off customs. We had barges bringing structural steel from Jakarta. The captain of the tug would just toss out the anchor and wait for us to come out in a boat with a bag of money or the delivery would not get to the site. Same with truckers from Surabaya. Trucks would leave but not arrive and I would have to get in car and backtrack along route eventually finding driver sitting by the side of the road (had been there days!!!) waiting for money. Just amazing.
To me it was a matter of incentives. In their system the objective was to position yourself in the middle of any transaction, to set yourself up as a ‘Toll Taker’. The objective was to be able to prevent a transaction and thereby collect the toll for letting it happen.
Sort of like what I see in many parts of the U.S. Economy today. Detroit resembles Indonesia in this regard.
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