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solar power photovoltaics
Why do people think that electricity from solar is the "solution" to global warming.?
It is so obviously impractical even compared to other alternative energy sources like wind power. Only 0.06% of the worlds electricity comes from solar Photovoltaics, about 1/3 as much as of the rarely mentioned geothermal power or 1/10 the power we get from wind power or biomass.
Solar provides less than 1/200th the electricity we can get from hydro power.
If solar power was anywhere near practical it would be more common among the renewable power sources.
A solution to global warming will have to be practical to do any good and right now solar does not seem to qualifiy compared to the other renewables.
Actually those who know better don't think it's the "total" solution, just part of it.
Solar power alone is not enough to satisfy our electricity consumption, we need additional green sources.
Practicality is more a measure of the costs to produce solar panels, as manufacturing costs come down, practicality goes up. You may see paint on solar panels soon, that would be a lot cheaper.
Maybe if they allowed 1/3 of the continental US to flood again this spring and built a dam they could get more power from hydro, otherwise, no new sources of Hydro. I.e. hydro power = flooding "somewhere".
Geothermal is not the answer, even though it is "green". Global warming is excess energy in the biosphere, geothermal would pump heat from the planet's core into the biosphere, doesn't help.
Next big untapped source is likely tidal and wave.
Ascent Solar Chairman to Retire at End of the Year THORNTON, Colo. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTI), a developer of state-of-the-art flexible thin film solar modules, today announced that its Chairman, Dr. Mohan Misra, will retire from his position on the Board of Directors, effective 31st December 2010. Dr. Misra has decided that due to his obligations to family and other personal reasons, he will retire ...
