maniclion

Damn, when did you do your thesis in the 60's. Grid-tie is booming in Cali as it helps with the demand of the utility, solar hot water is even better. Of course it's not the only answer, but it's one of the biggest ones.

It's an industry that's seen steady growth of 30% in the last few years and will continue to grow. So I am a believer, I have my faith.


Myth 2: Solar electricity can do everything — right now!

No way. Solar electricity will eventually become a major player in the world's energy portfolio. The industry just doesn't have the capacity to meet all demands right now. But assuming that the proper investments are made now and are sustained, the industry will become significant in the next few decades.

In 2000, for example, worldwide PV shipments grew by 37% from the previous year. In 2001, they grew by another 38%. Although this brought shipments to about 400 megawatts per year, it's hardly enough to meet the entire burden of U.S. or world electricity needs... yet.

OceanDude

Just hold on. The real answer is going to be fusion reactors. This will be possible probably by 2020 and will be virtually an unlimited form of energy that is produced from heavy water fuel (deuterium) which is easy to get from sea water and a process which fuses atoms like in a fusion bomb (but controllable and hard to sustain).

I still say that solar will not be viable for technical and business reasons but may be able to account for 10-15% of total national baseline need. Power companies need to get 30 years out of their investments in conventional fuel plants before they will consider replacing them. I think it would be more practical to tap in to shale oil and coal systems to buy us time (easily 50 years of reserves) to get to fusion.

OD

"Doc, If I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself..."

Est unusquisque faber ipsae suae fortunae.

We Americans scoff at the likes of African witch doctors yet spend 100's of millions of dollars on fake reducing systems.

The only regular exercise he gets is stretching the truth.

His intellect is not replenished, he is only an animal, only sensible in the duller parts...

Vieope

FURtherness

OceanDude

Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen where the nucleus contains both a proton and one neutron. Deuterium oxide is more commonly called heavy water. Deuterium is a minor component of all the hydrogen in us and around us. It is apparently harmless, varying in surface water from 0.0130% in arctic surface water to 0.0162% in the Nile in Egypt—the latter, an effect of naturally occurring fractional distillation. It is rare on a percentage of total water but it only takes a small amount to produce enormous energy.

OD

"Doc, If I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself..."

Est unusquisque faber ipsae suae fortunae.

We Americans scoff at the likes of African witch doctors yet spend 100's of millions of dollars on fake reducing systems.

The only regular exercise he gets is stretching the truth.

His intellect is not replenished, he is only an animal, only sensible in the duller parts...

Vieope

FURtherness

Dale Mabry

Because Iraq doesn't have Deuterium.

If sense were common, everyone would have it.

4/2007-Current 75th Ranked most popular image 1 spot behind Prince's bulge...

Vieope

FURtherness

maniclion

the current working or maynot be working model uses palladium a rare metal, is there enough? Second they say the process gives off helium does that mean we'll all be talking like Mickey Mouse? Until they start shipping it to me to sell in my warehouse I'll stick with harnessing power from the Fusion Reactor we all rely on already. Face it the Sun is powering you right now from the vegetables you eat to the vegetable eating meat that you eat. That Gas you're burning in your car it used to be a living plankton either phyto living off of the Sun or Zoo living off of the Phyto that lived off of the Sun, so therefore it is stored solar energy coal too.

Solar is not the only answer but it will factor in with wind, wave, bio, Geothermal etc. We should have made the switch a long time ago, but the forces that be didn't want to stir a ruckus and cause inconvienence in our fossil fuel addicted way of life.

maniclion

Anyones electric bills go up recently?

Rich46yo

We must get away from this reliance on fossil fuel sources. Future generations will spit on our graves for the selfish decisions we have made since the dawn of Industrialization.................Uncle Rich

"Death to Tyrants"!

maniclion

See I knew I could dig up something we agreed on.

Rich46yo

We would probably agree on a great deal if you didn't insist on being a jag-off 99% of the time. There was a time when I actually respected you. As far as the environment goes we probably agree near 100%. On social injustice we probably agree on 90% of stuff. I just insist on personal responsibility being part of the equation.

I am not blind to corporate greed, shitbird politicians,a ravaged middle class, and a system geared toward protecting the rich and connected. The real difference between me and you tho manlicon is Ive been ass deep in it for 22 years. Ive worked a ghetto for most of that time and I'd be willing to bet Ive saved more lives, helped more people, caged more violent criminals, and have been a symbol of equality for all the peoples Ive come into contact with, then the rest of this forum combined.

So before you babble that racist crap maybe ponder that first before you type. If you cant then this will be the last "normal" conversation we ever have.................................Rich

"Death to Tyrants"!

maniclion

All I do is caricatured satire on some of your tirades that uncannily sound like Archie Bunker.

Big Smoothy

I hope someone knocks off this anaerexic b*tch.