PV Gap

Nicholas Said:

where can I find solar glass buyer?

We Answered:

I suggest you contact a Glass dealers, they use to buy from companies like Pilkington, PPG and Saint Gobain, who also have solar control materials. The glass dealers are the ones who handled the retail business and source architects, and building companies.

Cory Said:

how is solar energy harvested,stored,distributed and priced?

We Answered:

Solar energy is harvested in two ways:

1. The sun's heat is harvested. This is usually done by heating a liquid. For home owners, the sun's heat can be used to heat your hot water by circulating it through a solar panel on your roof.

2. The sun's energy is harvested and turned into electricity. This works equally well in hot climates as cold - you just need sunlight. Traditionally, silicon panels are used. There is a molecular reaction when photons (think of these as parcels of sun energy) strike the panels. This sets of a flow of electrons = electricity.

Solar energy can be stored:

a) Storing the heat ie. hot water, by keeping it in an insulated container

b) When storing electricity, you can store this in batteries.

Distributed:

a) For hot water, by connecting this to your house plumbing

b) For electricity, by connecting to your home's electricity system. You can also connect your solar electricity to the grid - this is known as net metering.

With net metering, you can sell solar energy back to the grid. (this is when you can watch your electricity meter run backwards.)

Priced:

this depends on

a) The price of the solar panel system
b) Your power bills - ie. how much power you can save if you used solar energy instead
c) How much sun is available where you live.

Hope this answers your question :)

Jared Said:

Is the course of alternative energy stocks influenced by the price of crude oil?

We Answered:

This is a very difficult question to answer. I do have one thought. There is no way ethonol is economical, at least as manufactured in the U S. It requires more energy to make the stuff than than it provides. It is a Bush scheme to make the public believe we are doing something. Of course the government provides a subsidy at taxpayers expense. Good for the farmers however. Might buy fertilizer stocks or Deer.

I did buy stock in a wind turbine company. Hopefully it was a good idea. Only time will tell. VWSYF

Brian Said:

Aren't both natural gas and solar energy better than oil?

We Answered:

Both oil and natural gas have passed their peak production. It will get to a point where it will not be a choice, we are using it all up. We will not be able to buy it at any price. We can slow down the inevitable with conservation to buy us some time, but oil and gas are not an infinite source of energy, they will run out. Then what?

In 1931, not long before he died, Thomas Edison told his friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone: "I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that."