Solar happenings

[Brian H]

BBC | Solar panels generate free electricity

It's socialistically free; i.e., paid for with other people's money. The "feed-in tarrifs" are so generous in many places that they amount to charging the general customer base for the power from private solar panels at 5-10X the going rate! On top of any grants etc. for the original installation. "Other people's money" is not free. It's theft.

 

[Brian H]

For those who don't recognize the source of dpeilow's sig/motto, it comes from a road tester's report on the Roadster.

 

[teslaspotter]

this is really off topic -- but since its save the air weather ....
Anyone teslaing from the
bay area to sacramento tomorow friday sept 3 2010??
I need to file some documents and loathe driving the gas car
THAT far in this weather!
[email protected]
thanks!!

 

[vfx]

This is a "solar happening".

http://putsolaron.it/road-trip/

A nice gesture. I hope it works.

 

[shark2k]

That link has some false information. Solar panels were put back on the White House in 2002. There are 167 panels on the roof of a maintanence shed, a total of 9 kW. There are also two thermal solar systems. Googling to find the info I found these two sites: http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/solarwhitehouse.htm and http://www.bushenergy.com/solarpanels.html

-Shark2k

 

[JRP3]

Actually if the original panels were on the White house, and the panels you linked to are not on the White house, I'd say it was accurate.

 

[vfx]

Yeah the Bush administration did put up a token solar on a shed. Typical of many moves back then. It was not very publicized to fire up the country or the congress, a tiny effort and it was done by the National Park service, not really the white house.

When asked why there hasn't been a bigger splash made about these installations, Doherty said that the Park Service doesn't like to advertise what it does at the White House. "We call it 'silent stewardship,'" he said. "We have always sought to stay in the background and not compete with what the White House does."

Edit to add. News on this is here!
cnn

 

[vfx]

80% Cheaper Solar Cells Switch Gold For Nickel

http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/04/super-cheap-solar-cells-switch-gold-for-nickel/

 

[dpeilow]

Spire Announces World's Most Efficient Concentrated PV Solar Cell

With a peak efficiency rate of 42.3%, the gallium arsenide cell supplants Sharp's record of 42.1%. The gallium arsenide cell was developed in less than 18 months and is now available to commercial systems providers.

 

[Fuzzylogic]

In 2007, 42.8% efficiency was already reached in a lab.

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com...from-40-7-to-42-8-solar-cell-efficiency-49483

 

[mt2]

Yeah the Bush administration did put up a token solar on a shed. Typical of many moves back then. It was not very publicized to fire up the country or the congress, a tiny effort and it was done by the National Park service, not really the white house.

the ONION - Solar Panels Going On White House
http://www.theonion.com/articles/solar-panels-going-on-white-house,18252/

 

[TEG]

http://www.gizmag.com/boeing-to-mass-produce-world-record-efficiency-solar-cells/17028

 

[vfx]

Great news if the price is right.

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1531

Boeing... has started mass production of its newest terrestrial solar cell, the C3MJ+. With an average conversion efficiency of 39.2 percent, C3MJ+ will be the industry’s highest-efficiency cell.

 

[Brian H]

"great news"?? An increase from 38.5 to 39.2% is a tweak, not a breakthru. An improvement of about 1/55. Yawn.

 

[shark2k]

"great news"?? An increase from 38.5 to 39.2% is a tweak, not a breakthru. An improvement of about 1/55. Yawn.

Seeing that the highest efficiency panels SunPower makes (they are the company's panels that are on my parents house) is 19% efficient, I would say going to a 39.2% efficiency is a big improvement.

-Shark2k

 

[Brian H]

Premiums

Well, if they want to pay as much as builders of spacecraft, they can probably get these panels for their rooftop.

The point is that compared to the previous model of the same type the improvement is small, though every increment counts.

 

[TEG]

http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog/1052007_audi-using-solar-panels-to-power-future-e-tron-cars

 

[vfx]

Yes this was my thinking. The term "mass produce" as opposed to NASA grade panels implied to me that there will be priced for industrial or homeowners to install. Again, how much they sell for is everything here.

 

[TEG]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/tec...dium-and-other-sports-arenas-to-go-solar.html

 

[TEG]

"German Grid Aching Under (Too Much) Solar Power":

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/10/21-0

(Too much of a good thing too quickly?)