[ale] Intelligent Power (was global warming) [OT]

[Jim Lynch]

Jim Popovitch wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 2, 2008 at 11:02 PM, George Allen <glallen01 at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>>  Say - layout a grid-array of solar panels over say... most of Nevada...
>>     
>
> Who's land?  :-)
>
> That is one of the big stumbling blocks.
>
> I was down at a south-of-Georgia power company last week (a power
> company that invests heavily in fossil fuel, wind, solar, nuclear and
> wave research, and I had a unusual chance to discuss solar technology
> with some of their engineers.  The key take away was that todays solar
> panel technology just isn't good enough.  In order for solar power to
> be a commercially viable business there needs to be greater cell
> density (watt per square inch).   I forget the exact numbers stated,
> but it was the equivalent of needing a 1 foot square panel to produce
> what a football sized series of panels produce today.
>
> -Jim P.
> _
That's not what I've read.  Today's voltaic solar panels are running 
about $3 - $4.50 per watt.  To compete with more conventional power 
generation methods that number has to come down to $1 per watt.  That's 
about what it costs for a fossil fueled plant.  There are people that 
say some recent developments may get us there.  Besides when oil hits 
$400 a barrel, the conventional power generation methods will cost more 
than $1 per watt.  There are other solar power methods that show great 
promise and are actually being implemented.  Unfortunately due to 
economy of scale, they aren't economical for a single family dwelling to 
install.  Remember Jimmy Carter was pushing solar and even installed 
solar hot water heaters for the whitehouse?  Someone took it down to 
repair a leaky roof and it never got put back up.

Jim.