On Feb 13, 2:34*pm, Robert wrote:
On Feb 13, 4:16 am, Harry Johnson wrote:



Where I live, we are running out of fossil fuels.

Maybe we should capture free energy from the sun?

Not if it takes more fossil fuel to excavate, refine,
manufacture and distribute a solar panel than the
energy the panel can produce during it's working life.

It is a toy for people who can get government subsidies.

Here's a real world example:

A 25 watt panel costs about $125 . *That is the cost
to produce the panel and get it into the hands of a
homeowner -- i.e. *the selling price, typically.

Use Dallas as a location. *10 cents per *kwh
* and a yearly average of 5.5 hours of "full sun" per day.

OK *$125 *means *1,250,000 watt-hours of electricity

That means * 1,250,000 / (5.5 x 25) *= *9091 days of
* *power generation at full panel ability.

That means 9091/365 = * 24.9 years to break even on
cost of generated power, assuming zero maintenance
and zero damage from rain and hail.

An unsustainable scenario.......

And if you figure in the cost of external infrastructure
that's needed --- batteries, wiring, power converter,
installation costs, maintenance on the infrastructure...

..... the business decision is a no-brainer....

Solar is a TOY, *unless there is no other possible
way.......Even a gasoline generator is more
cost-effective...

Clearly you have never been to Germany.
Solar panels are cost effective because they need no fuel to run
them. Their projected life is around 25 years. And they produce no
pollution once manufactured.
You have to buy gasoline to run your generator. You have to maintain
it and it has a lifetime of a few thousand hours at best. And the cost
of fossil fuels will rise.
And fossil fuels are too valuable to burn.