Solar Panels anywhere are a good idea.
2007-01-20 16:18:45
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answer #1
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answered by A.R 2
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The solar panels would have to have a storage battery set up to gather all the solar power that the panels would be collecting. Just having panels out in the desert would not serve any purpose.
2007-01-20 15:42:28
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answer #2
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answered by Ladyhawk 3
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I think it would be worth it but it depends on whether we are willing to pay the price. The cost of solar panels at our energy usage is still higher than the cost of coal, oil or nuclear power sources. If scientist and engineers could bring the cost of solar power down to equal or less than these sources, I believe most people would love to make use of deserts in this way. For those who love deserts for their wildness, as I do, be assured that it would not take much desert to produce all the power we could use in the foreseeable future.
2007-01-20 15:48:30
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answer #3
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answered by Twizard113 5
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Example to illustrate-
The amount of energy a solar panel can put out over its 20 year life = 100 watts
The panel costs $100.00
You can buy 100 watts of power from the local power company for $80.00, and have no other maintenance expenses.
That is why solar panels have not caught on yet. If the balance economics changes, everyone will have solar panels.
But yes, just south of Las Vegas the power company has set up at least 100 acres of solar panels for what your thoughts are.
2007-01-20 15:45:06
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answer #4
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answered by Milo 2
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It's not crazy at alll. However, we really don''t need to go to the trouble of going clear out in the desert. here'swhy:
Let's say you wanted to be able to generate 1 gigawatt power (peak capacity) to supplement other forms of energy production (right now, relying on solar energy entirely is a problem--you don't have it available 24/7 and storing the energy, while possible, is still not cost-effective).
The energy of the sunlight goes up to 1400 watts per square meter. Solar arrays don't convert all that light to electricty however. for a large scale plant like this, lets say you could actually get 100 watts per square meter (not great, but notbad). You'd need only about10 square kilometers (about 4 square miles) and it would cost about $4 billion. Considering that you don't need to have that all in one place--you can use rooftops in cities, etc--that's not a lot of space--and a gigawatt is a LOT of power!
That kind of projeject is years away, however. For one thing, to rely on solar energy enough to make that kind of investment worthwhile, we really need a costeffective way of storing the electricity--other wise we have to build other energy productionplants anyway. right now, solar energy is most effective on a smaller scale--and costs have gone down enough that it is uch more affordable as an investment for individual home owners--and definately is a good investment--it will pay for itself in a few years and increases home values as well.
But don't let go of that idea--we may well ee something like it in a decade or two.
2007-01-20 16:00:53
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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well thats a fairly good idea but (i would think) that you'd have to worry about the solar panels being covered with dust and sand in alot of deserts
2007-01-20 15:43:38
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answer #6
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answered by oakhugger 1
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too our misfortune the material from which solar panels are made is limited.
the current chip-production is already worried about that even without having plans to erect such a hughe ammount of panels.
as you said ..feedback.. this is a point you should consider
2007-01-20 18:53:29
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answer #7
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answered by blondnirvana 5
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wow, thats a good idea..(i think they allready do something simliar but nothing too big) yes i would put the desserts to good use and ya, after a while it probobly would be worth it.. i think that the only problom would be pretection the (expensive) solar penels safe from the weather (and any rebels who may live on/near the dessert)
2007-01-20 15:44:38
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answer #8
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answered by tyler 2
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How many people would use it? How would you distribute it to them? (electrical resistance increases with distance). Impractical in the Sahara; feasable in Australia & Israel, perhaps Arizona.
2007-01-20 16:12:22
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answer #9
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answered by CLICKHEREx 5
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Sound good to me, if it will work.
2007-01-20 15:41:17
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answer #10
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answered by 1614 5
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