Solar Power Could Be World’s Main Energy Source By 2050

[saveliberty]

What a bunch of hooey. Solar is impractical in our area, not enough sun for a sizable chunk of the year. Plus the cells have not increased in conversion rates very fast at all. Wind is the same thing, if you look at the charts of energy production you need a 28 mph sustained wind. Few places offer that level of wind. Inefficient power sources and we have been told since the 70s that better product is just around the corner. Not.

 

[SSDD]

Solar could be the primary power supply in a world of hunter gatherers whose life expectancy was so brutally short that they would be considered middle aged by their early 20's....only a true idiot could believe solar could be more than a novelty in an industrial world.

 

[Billy_Bob]

What a bunch of hooey. Solar is impractical in our area, not enough sun for a sizable chunk of the year. Plus the cells have not increased in conversion rates very fast at all. Wind is the same thing, if you look at the charts of energy production you need a 28 mph sustained wind. Few places offer that level of wind. Inefficient power sources and we have been told since the 70s that better product is just around the corner. Not.

Living on top of the great divide I know a whole lot about constant wind. Living in a #5 wind zone there are very few days my wind generators at 35' do not make energy for 8-15 hours during the winter. The summer is more calm and average hours is about 8-10 (morning and night fall).

I know about WIND...

 

[Crick]

So you support the use of wind energy with your own pocketbook. Good to know.

 

[Billy_Bob]

So you support the use of wind energy with your own pocketbook. Good to know.

Not having to pay absorbent eco nutter taxes is a plus... Me havin power when the whole area doesn't for weeks at a time... Priceless..

 

[Old Rocks]

What the hell is an absorbent eco nutter tax? LOL

 

[flacaltenn]

What the hell is an absorbent eco nutter tax? LOL

It's the way you pronounce exorbitant after 3 beers. Or in my case after 1 beer..

Just as long as it isn't an absorbent peanut nutter tax..

 

[Billy_Bob]

What the hell is an absorbent eco nutter tax? LOL

It's the way you pronounce exorbitant after 3 beers. Or in my case after 1 beer..

Just as long as it isn't an absorbent peanut nutter tax..

Most eco nutters wear depends... I wish they would keep all things like that to themselves..

 

[skookerasbil]

lol.......this is still the most nutty thread in here all year. THATS saying something.

 

[Crick]

Most eco nutters wear depends... I wish they would keep all things like that to themselves..

I wish you'd keep yourself to yourself. There was no call for that comment whatsoever. No one was even talking to you.

 

[SSDD]

Most eco nutters wear depends... I wish they would keep all things like that to themselves..

I wish you'd keep yourself to yourself. There was no call for that comment whatsoever. No one was even talking to you.

Or what....you will kill him? Killing those who disagree with you is clearly the only way you will ever win.

 

[skookerasbil]

The ONE thing the government fears SSDD is guys like us......and for good reason. Its not even the guns......they know there is a trigger out there and jump through hoops to avoid it........and theres plenty of evidence.

A year ago, Connecticut passed a law mandating all residents who own government labeled "assault" weapons to register them or be prosecuted. How many have been registered?

Exactly zErO!!!!

There are estimated to be 250,000!!!

And they are not doing dick about it either. Anybody who cant figure out why lives in Disconnectland.

 

[Political Junky]

Cool.

What percentage does solar provide now?

I don't know. But the Kyoto protocol provides carbon credits for developed countries who help the developing world leapfrog over fossil fuel-based technology in favor of other technologies like solar. So, oddly enough, there are villages in Africa with solar power even though they're technologically behind us in most other ways.

Europe is cutting the solar installation credits and subsidies. US Federal credits expire in 2015 or 16. There's a reason for that.. You need a REAL POWER PLANT for every MWatt that you produce. Doesn't take ANYTHING offline, unless you want frozen bodies to pile up in the winter... That -- and it only produces at near efficiency for 6 hours a day..

You can't fix stupid.. It's easy to assume it's someone's else's problem if it rains or snows --- until YOU or a relative are on the operating table when the sun goes away.

You're aware that the energy can be stored, right? Also, every hospital has generators to be used in the event of a blackout.

 

[flacaltenn]

Cool.

What percentage does solar provide now?

I don't know. But the Kyoto protocol provides carbon credits for developed countries who help the developing world leapfrog over fossil fuel-based technology in favor of other technologies like solar. So, oddly enough, there are villages in Africa with solar power even though they're technologically behind us in most other ways.

Europe is cutting the solar installation credits and subsidies. US Federal credits expire in 2015 or 16. There's a reason for that.. You need a REAL POWER PLANT for every MWatt that you produce. Doesn't take ANYTHING offline, unless you want frozen bodies to pile up in the winter... That -- and it only produces at near efficiency for 6 hours a day..

You can't fix stupid.. It's easy to assume it's someone's else's problem if it rains or snows --- until YOU or a relative are on the operating table when the sun goes away.

You're aware that the energy can be stored, right? Also, every hospital has generators to be used in the event of a blackout.

The shear massive amount of power it takes to drive a city defies any type of meaningful efficient storage. Solar PV is a 6 hour a day source. To make a 24 hour source would require 4 times as much installation capacity.. Meaning to keep a GWatt output you'd need 4 GWatt of generation. This is not true of fossil fuel or nuclear or hydro or other steady RELIABLE sources. And with solar and wind, SOMEONE pays to have a fully primed backbone generating capacity to cover ALL of load if it snows or storms or the wind don't blow.

The enviro impact of a grid scaled storage system would be DISASTEROUS. Either in terms of land-use or toxic material recycling or risks of fire, earthquake, tsunami exposing toxins to the environment.

 

[Mustang]

Landing on the moon the first time DID accelerate science and engineering for quite awhile. Building windmills and solar powered gadgets is about 400 yr old technology. Who the hell do you think MAKES this stuff now? It's LOW tech manufacturing and advances in PV solar are not likely to ever make it to the commercial market because of cost. Ironically,, MOST of the NEW PV solar tech being developed could only be funded for SPACE applications. Like those feisty Mars Rovers..

Last time I checked, no human beings live on the moon, or Mars, or any celestial body other than Earth. Consequently, it only stands to reason that resources are best spent here. Think of it as home improvement for humanity.