PV Gap

Margie Said:

Why doesn't California use solar energy to solve its power crises?

We Answered:

Give the politicans some slack huh.

Solar energy is pretty pathetic as an energy source by itself, try it yourself. Get a torch run on solar power with no batteries and see how much light and power you can get out of it. Sure it works, but compared to batteries... its weak, really weak.

Now while solar energy is all good and nice, it is no where near the point where it could save a city from an energy crisis, no where near enough. I wouldn't leave a huge thriving city in the hands of solar power, that would be almost certain chaos.

Solar power won't have its own feet without subsidies for many many years, that science learning period and experimentation will take a while and in the mean time your area needs power. One day without power would mean complete chaos.

Politicians have brains, and if the solution were soo easy they'd do so, but its not all back and white. Drilling in Alaska is the best option to save the energy crisis, support would be good instead of ignorant, naive attacks.

Julie Said:

Where are there solar energy facilities in california?

We Answered:

There are thousands of panels on both homes and business roofs. We are also in the process of building a huge solar farm near Fresno and it looks like another in San Bernadino.

Jonathan Said:

Sun chips in California are made from solar energy?

We Answered:

Well all the energy in plant material is converted solar energy, and they use solar energy to do the processing into chips. Some of the energy is converted to electricity en route, but all can be accounted for as solar at an economic level.

But they run at night drawing power from the grid.
Then the solar system provides replacement energy in the daytime.