How practical is solar power and when will this alternate source be used. What is the future of solar energy? Please explain and cite your source. Thank you.
2007-01-28 07:20:45 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Environment
At the present time, fossil fuels are still the cheapest form of energy for the production of electricity.
Solar power is a practical way to produce power, but at the present time it is not cost effective, due to production costs of the solar panels, their installation, converting the direct current electricity they produce to 60 cycle alternating current, and routing this power to, and connecting to, the power grid.
Only when fossil fuels become too expensive to use, will alternate forms of energy be considered.
2007-01-28 07:32:16 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
How practical is an MP3 player? Does it pay you back in hard cash in your back pocket? What about that high dollar corvette? I don't see a pay back in any way on either of those in cold hard cash so they are not practicable at all. Well if your pay back is picking up women at a night club or giving your kids something to do to keep them out of your hair for a while.. Wow. now they are practicable.
Same thing goes for Solar Electric. If you get a grid tied solar electric system with battery backup. You have no power outages and you keep the grid from powering from coal or oil products. Ok so there is the night time. We have hydro electric at the dam sites and then there is wind power and a limited nuke plant every here and there.
So solar electric is very practicable if you look at like you do an MP3 or a Corvette. The benefits out weight the cost.
And to add to this, It depends on where you live on how quick solar electric will pay for it's self. If you do not live in the mainland USA your cost per kWh is about 19 cents which could pay you back in as soon as 5 to 10 years easy. The cost per kWh on the west cost of the USA is about that much.
So is it practical? Numbers don't lie. I sell solar products and I do the math almost everyday and I see some places that you would get a quick pay back. Others places you would never get a pay back in cash in your life time. Some places would pay you back in cash in a few years even with a solar battery backup system with grid tie.
Just check prices and see how many years it would take you to get a pay back in your area and you will see for your self. There is no site to send you to that can do that for you. You just need contact a solar electric dealer and work out the numbers.
Solar is the new wave to come and has already started. When solar catches on here in the USA like it did over seas you will see cost go up till the rush is over which will be a few years. So you might want to get started now while the prices are still low. Don't wait till the gas prices go up because the price of solar will go up because of the cost of gas. Every thing is related.
2007-01-28 15:07:58 · answer #2 · answered by Don K 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are a lot of sources on the web--and some of the best are companies that are doing innovative work in the field. Your best bet is to google around some--you'll get more info than I can put in here.
But solar energy is indeed practical (especially sicnce prices have dropped by 1/2 in the last few years). The up front cost is still faairly high--but because the energy is essentially free and these systems require little maintainance, they pay for themselves quickly.
The main drawback, of course, is that they don't work at night--nd not very well when its cloudy. But they are a terrific and cost-effective way of generating energy as long as you stay connected and use conventional energy roviders to fill in the gaps. Plus there are people working on systems to store solar energy. Those aren't very cost-effective yet--but give it a few years, who knows.
Hope that helps.
2007-01-28 08:03:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The most common solar power interface devices available today is the photovoltaic cell, it is unfortunately not very efficient and very expensive, I m currently working with a company called E.A.G. on an improved photon conversion device that is very promising, and will make it to market, but you ll have to be patient, laws and regulations, restrictions, and strict testing, will delay marketing, and mass production to the consumer level.
2007-01-28 09:08:49 · answer #4 · answered by Dan D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I found a company that will supply, install and maintain their solar
equipment on your home, No purchase required !..
You rent the equipment from them and you pay them for the power you produce. The rental fee is based on what you currently pay for your electricity. So your monthly bill is what you now pay. However the company will lock in the rate for up to 25 years ! So, your bill never goes up ! And if you share this with new customers you can eliminate your electric bill !
2007-01-30 11:50:52 · answer #5 · answered by solarman 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Going Nuclear is probable the main eco-friendly element we are able to do to minimize CO2 emissions. electric powered capability produces maximum human beings of our CO2, not vehicles. worldwide places like France produce eighty% of their electric powered capability from Nuclear. If it weren't for Nuclear, Japan does not be a worldwide financial capability. Nuclear capability is the sole proved option that could grant the massive volume of capability we could desire to help our way of existence. in assessment to photograph voltaic and wind, Nuclear makes capability 24/7 and twelve months a 12 months at a decrease cost than Wind and photograph voltaic. Nuclear could be located everywhere in the rustic and demands an extremely small foot print. Wind and photograph voltaic in basic terms produce capability approximately 35% of the time in very sturdy places. there is not many very sturdy places. They the two require extensive aspects of land to offer lots capability. are you able to think of photograph voltaic capability in Seattle the place the sunlight won't shine for days and weeks? Wind turbines require a minimum of 6-8 MPH of sustained winds to generate. every time you have a nonetheless night, no capability. Wind and photograph voltaic are super for supplementing a nuclear or gas/coal grid, yet will on no account obtain the fee and reliability of Nuclear / coal.
2016-12-17 04:35:28 · answer #6 · answered by symons 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2017-01-31 06:29:33 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I installed a system in the Ecuador jungle ,and it worked just fine until a strong wind storm blew the panels every where.
2007-01-28 09:32:15 · answer #8 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
solar power is power made by the sun and will be use during the day and the future of solar power is unpredictable
2007-01-28 07:26:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋