"Robert" wrote in message
...
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...

We had a place in the mountains (E Tenn./W NC) that was 100% off grid. ROI
pay out was ~5/6 years. Still working when we sold ~ 20 years. We made a
good profit on the sale. over and above the value of the land/improvements.
During a few ice storms we were the only 'bright' spot on the mountain for
miles around.

We had a LPG gen set for standby power that was run ONLY for maintance.

Theory don't mean sh|t if it don't work in the real world.