$1/watt solar panel - $2/watt solar system

[Kay9]

I suggest you re-READ my post jorghenderson.

As I say in my post that you quoted but did NOT read. The cost of the batteries and life of these systems make solar way too EXPENSIVE even if they GIVE AWAY the solar panels.

[jorghenderson]

I agree this solution has nothing to do with power storage for vehicles or boats but power can be stored with low tech and proven technologies in a lake above a pump (for pumping water up) and a generator coupled to a prop (same device?) to reclaim energy when needed .

Hopefully this will keep the fuel costs for boats down.

[Kay9]

Makeing energy is very easy. I can think of at least 4 other ways to make energy. The problem with energy is inert storage. This is why oil is so great. It stores easily and converts easily.

You can make a LOT more energy with wind then solar...but you still face storage problems.

Solar cells are cheap even without this technology, given the amount of time the cells are likely to survive. But its still the cost of storing the energy produced that makes all of these systems too expensive.

Sure if you have a coi pond and you want to small solar lights around it or a little pump that only works in daylight, solar is fun. But for now it is not viable. And it will not be viable untill some form of energy storage is worked out that is not more expensive then $200.00 US a barrel oil.

K9

[nero]

The storage medium existed before the hydrocarbon molecule.

Hydrogen. It is less dangerous than gasoline, or hydrocarbon gasses.

Another way is to pull energy from magnets.

Yet another way is to bleed energy from the universe.

But all these ways will take power from the fortunate and free the slaves.

[masalai]

Oh jeeeees nero, have you not seen the explosion that happens when a lead acid battery generates excess hydrogen & EXPLODES?, The Hindenberg was Hydrogen & a bit of static electricity set it off.

I can hold a magnet in my hand all day, or even hang it by a thread and all it can do is point magnetic N/S. It needs motion (energy input) to extract electrical energy.

Join startreck. Not here yet, not relevant to this thread.

OK nero will U be the slave and supply the "arm power"? Dreaming is a useful occupation if you can find a buyer.

[westlawn5554X]

METHANE could be a better bet in the future... opps... no science teriffic backup knowledge again...

[masalai]

Methane is easy to generate, I eat baked beans, sit for a while, go to get up and Lo Pppppppht, Methane supplied!

Although westies case, He must find cow, sniff its ass, inhale, you now have a lung full of methane

Sorry westie, could not resist the temptation, Oh wat sinners we are. Woooooooow is not me?

[westlawn5554X]

Nah... I am studying the new zealand pig farm where they take pig pooh and generate enough to sell the electricity...

Indian old mangrove and cow dung burning for fuel...

French microhydro from riverland... built your own dam website... Now where u say u found yur farthing thoery from me sir...?

[westlawn5554X]

The cheapest way to get cheap solar panel per $1 is to get it blackmarket or cheap warehouse old stock sale... check with building that have the facilities but doesnt use it anymore..... I got mine cheap doin 750w per piece X2 with control and a big dry cell CCA.

[westlawn5554X]

Solar energy is great in theory, but the problem is that panels need to face the sun, which is frequently behind clouds or shining down at some less-than-optimal angle. The solution? Put solar panels in space, of course! Duh!

That's just what the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has begun working on, actually. They are currently working on the hardware, and plan to have a Space Solar Power System (SSPS) up and running by 2030.

The setup would consist of a satellite-type object in orbit about 22,400 miles above the surface of the Earth. Terrifyingly, the satellite would convert the sun's rays into laser beams and shoot them down to base stations on Earth. Yes, lasers would fire down from space. But friendly lasers, so, you know, it's cool.

On February 20th, JAXA is going to begin testing these crazy laser beam transmitters designed to send the precious energy down from orbit. It's a long ways away from this actually being put into use, but researchers claim that when all is said and done, one of these things in orbit can provide basically free power to a whopping 500,000 homes, so we say take all the time you need. Sounds great to us. [Hokkaido Shimbun via Pink Tentacle]

http://gizmodo.com/353985/orbiting-s...of-laser-beams