PV Gap

Antonio Said:

Would you be really interested into buying cheap cheap solar thermal panels?

We Answered:

i would like to know how efficient are they first.

Edna Said:

can anyone tell me where to buy cheap solar panels?

We Answered:

There are a few ways to offset the initial cost. Some companies now lease them which allows you to have them installed with out a big out of pocket expense, and locks in your electric rate for the life of the panels. You can also use home equity, it is considered an imporvement so you may be able to get some money without too much equity. Look to your state and utility to see if there are any rebates available. You can also get a smaller system and add to it as you have the money, it will be more expensive in the long run.

The reason solar panels seem so expensive is you are prepaying for 20-25 years worth of electricity. Most systems pay for themselves in less than 10 years.

Don't forget the power of conservation. Do all you can to insulate your home, cut standby energy and look for other smaller investments that can save you money like, CFL's, programable thermostats, shade trees etc.

Caroline Said:

Cheap solar panels.....advice?

We Answered:

Older less efficient panels are being sold at discounts. They will work but you have to install more of them so you may end up losing all or part of your "savings" as compared to newer panels.

Henry Said:

Where can I find solar panels for cheap?

We Answered:

Try one of the many companies going out of business because solar panels aren't in high demand, due to their ineffectiveness.

In essence, the only way they make a profit is through government subsidizes. In reality, if the government didn't prop this industry up...it wouldn't exist.

If I were you I'd save my money and invest it in carbon credits.

Duane Said:

How much energy could be generated by adding solar panels to the Alaskan Pipeline?

We Answered:

Probably very little, it's at such a high latitude. Anchorage gets way less than half the annual sunlight that LA does, for example:
http://www.solarpanelsplus.com/solar-ins…

The trans-Alaska pipeline is about 800 miles long. Let's assume you could fit 1.5 metres wide of panels all along the pipeline, and the efficiency of these panels is 10% (First Solar CdTe are the cheapest, and 8-10% efficient modules. Silicon is more expensive but generally higher efficiency).

The surface area is 1.9 million square metres, which will receive an average of 4 million kWh/day at Anchorage levels of sunlight, or make 0.4 million kWh/day of electricity (ofc, lots more in summer than in winter!)



0.4 million kWh is the energy content of about 2,300 barrels of oil.

However, you must remember that here you've accounted for the efficiency of the solar panels but not the efficiency of the oil. If you burn the oil in a car engine, you'll average 12-20% efficiency in general (and that's not accounting for the energy needed to dig up, process & distribute the oil or make the solar panels). Assuming you're using the oil to drive, it's equivalent to about 10,000 barrels of oil per day, or 3.65m a year.