Re: Installed Cost Of Solar Photovoltaic Systems In United States Fell In 2008

The time for solar is here. We in the lower 48 USA could eliminate practically all other forms of energy generation with a mere 10,000 square miles or so of photovoltaics. That's a square about 100 x 100 miles. Does not have to be all in one place; it could easily be on top of a million rooftops, a million parkings lots, a million deserted brownfields. We could pack away fossil fuels and nuclear energy, global warming and radioactive waste forever - if we just had the will.

Unfortunately, other countries are leaving us in the dust on solar power generation. Disgusting!

Jim

Still costs too much, not enough land available (read: environmental impact reports) to put these up, and the country is in recession. The price will come down when people are willing to buy. Can't force it on them, the USA has ample other sources of energy.

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Vince
Still costs too much, not enough land available (read: environmental impact reports) to put these up, and the country is in recession. The price will come down when people are willing to buy. Can't force it on them, the USA has ample other sources of energy.

Vince, I think you must not be paying attention here. In terms of land, there is ample room on degraded places where little or no environmental impact analysis would need to be conducted, the price point is dropping rather dramatically especially for large installations, and in fact, we have other forms of energy but none of them is as dependable or clean as solar. Europe is in a recession too - but they are going headlong into the 21st century while we languish in the 19th.

Just try to put up a million acres of Great Basin solar panels without a decade of environmental impact lawsuits.

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Vince
Just try to put up a million acres of Great Basin solar panels without a decade of environmental impact lawsuits.

OK, just once more - there are Gazillions of places, known by admins, enviros alike where the land is already developed or degraded and solar farms would be relatively easy sells. You could cover every city block in California, Arizona, and NM with rooftop and parking lot solar installations with scarcely a cry from anyone. That would net you your million acres and then some.

Texas probably wouldn't like it though - not enough petroleum in it.

Bruce,
YOU don't get it. We must wait until there is so little fossil fuel left that it won't be possible to fuel the factories needed to make the solar arrays. Then and only then will it be necessary to have solar energy sources.

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Old Dude

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mrcondron
Bruce,
YOU don't get it. We must wait until there is so little fossil fuel left that it won't be possible to fuel the factories needed to make the solar arrays. Then and only then will it be necessary to have solar energy sources.

Man, I'm so naive - how could I have missed this utter truism?

Say it like Bugs Bunny with a carrot in his mouth - Ironic, ain't it?