PV Gap

Russell Said:

Can solar energy every make oil/gas obsolete?

We Answered:

Solar power has the theoretical ability to displace energy from fossil fuels but in practice there are other issues.

1) Solar power must be harnessed. To do this requires materials, some of which are currently made from petroleum.

2) Fossil fuels are also the feedstocks for many of the products we use in everyday life. Plastic and chemicals are usually from oil.

In practice, solar power could displace our energy dependence on fossil fuel much more easily than the demand for oil as a chemical feedstock. I've heard that at a long term stable price of $50-60 /barrel solar and other alternative energy sources (wind, geothermal, hydrothermal, tidal, biomass, ...) can competer and displace our demand on oil.

If you take a real twist on the problem, the $100 to $200 billion we've spent creating unrest in the middle east may be the best way to reduce dependence on oil. The more instability in oil producing regions, the higher the price of oil. The higher the price of oil, the more the government doesn't have to fund alternative energy work, because companies will naturally invest. In fact, for much less money the US could intentionally bomb and disable most oil producing facilities around the world and communicate that use of those materials for energy is no longer acceptable. That extremely unpopulatr unilateral policy decision could be extremely cost effective for supporting an alternative energy market.

On a more serious note, Europe does not require fuel efficient cars but does tax the use of gas. The US has had legislation for many years that requires car makers to be "more" fuel efficient. The approach in Europe has led to a significantly higher overall improvement in fuel efficienct.

Alternative energy in Europe is getting a similar boost in alternative energy from carbon taxes related to the Kyoto protocol.

The US is taking a more pork oriented approach of rewarding subsidized research grants to solar power work.

Why support solar power and an inefficient funding system? If we really think "oil" is bad, make it more expensive and the free market economy will very efficiently find and develop alternatives.

Tom Said:

What are your views on alternative energy research?

We Answered:

Totally for it.

The US operates on about 10% renewable or alternative energy sources right now and I think we should definitely keep looking for ways to keep harnessing and improving on these numbers. Anything we can do to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and switch over to alternative energy is great. It not only makes us a more independent nation it makes us a greener, cleaner, healthier, and wealthier nation as well with greater prospects for our future.

The majority of what we use right now is #1 Biomass/Bio-fuel and Hydroelectric at a close second. I hope that we can start more wind energy programs. Biomass is great because it creates a potential way to get rid of our garbage problem (which is another substantial problem) while providing energy...so it is a double victory) The fact that it is responsible for 51% of our renewable energy sources is great!

Wind, geothermal, and solar energy technology on a mass scale are somewhat harder to use because they need large open spaces to work productively, they are expensive and with geothermal there isn't a source available geologically to every nation.

The geothermal energy plant technology is totally there if we had more areas within the US to take advantage of it we would be set. It is relatively easy to tap into and almost nonexistent as far as cost goes to operate once you do. It is just a matter of finding those darn underground patches of volcanic activity. About 30-35% of Iceland is fueled by geothermal power now.

I hope that research will fine tune wind and solar energy so that it can become affordable for the everyday Joe like myself and there could be the potential to have a wind turbine or solar panel in my backyard or on my roof in the next 10 years with out costing me $30,000 like it would now to install the solar. (I have researched it and had companies out to do solar assessments multiple times) As it is it is still just too expensive for many to make it a reality even with incentives and tax rebates.

Jason Said:

For research where can I find a state's % days of cloud coverage?

We Answered:

You can get weather data of all types at the Weather Underground website. Type in the city you want and there is an option about 1/3 of the way down that says "Weather history for this location".

Also, NC State University has a solar house that has a website that might help you as well.

Nellie Said:

How is Solar Energy efficient, and cost effective? ?

We Answered:

Present use of Solar Energy is too expensive and complicated to be cost effective or efficient. It has a great future, but at present that's the situation.

Let's combine future potential with present limitations by looking at two areas of on-going research that have great possibilities.

MIT engineers are working on developing solar concentrators which collect light over large areas, like windows, and concentrate it at the edges, instead of covering a roof with expensive semiconductor devices. In addition to promising less expensive solutions, they should also be more efficient since the focused light increases the electrical power obtained from each solar cell "by a factor of over 40," according the the MIT team.

A less-dramatic approach is the "full-spectrum" system which directly uses sunlight for specific applications such as power generation for lighting buildings. Direct collection and distribution of light avoids the inefficient conversion into electricity and then reconversion back into light.

In short, although today's use of solar energy is mostly glamorous and hopeful, research is making definite progress to reduce costs of solar energy collection and distribution, and focus it in areas where it is most effective.