Does solar energy provide enough output to generate sustainable energy in a cost efficient manner?

Question

Please Submit Answers ASAP:

or Before or After 23 February 2008, but It Would Be Better If You Answer This Question Before 23 February 2008 Because I Am Using This Information For My Science Fair Project!!!

Answer 1

The sun isn't the problem. The solar cells that we're capable of creating cannot take in most of the suns different types of rays and convert them to energy. Until we can make cells capable of better conversion then it wil be cost efficient.

Answer 2

There are many different types of solar. Thermal is good, skylight are also good. Passive solar is OK. PV is not so good. The cells are not made to last your life time, so they have to be replaced. But when the sun is out they make electricity.

Have fun

Answer 3

20 year old PV cells output almost 90% of the energy they did when new, we don't know how long they will last, they are usually replaced for more efficient models. According to one dealer most new panels come with 20 to 25 year warantees. New technology is now becoming available to make PV panels more affordable, under $1 a watt, www.avasolar.com for example.

For those of you that want to make the argument that we don't have enough space available to put that many solar panels, Just look at the roofs of all the industrial buildings, homes and churches in the US and tell me that. Most new panels can produce 10 to 13 watts per square foot. A small warehouse may have 100,000 square feet. thats 1000 kw. Granted thats max output but you can usually rely on 40% of that (400kw). Now multiply that by the thousands and thousands of building this size in the US.

So the answer to your question is yes! just keep in mind this is a longer term investment than most companies are willing do. Unfortunatly without government involvement I doubt we will see any major changes soon.

Answer 4

For your science project, look up past issues of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN in your school library.

There was a Scientific American cover story on this subject in January - I think it was their January 22, 2008 issue, but I'm not sure.

The authors of that article make an argument that with a fairly big government investment in solar energy, the United States could more than meet its needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the next few decades.

The article also predicts that the USA would become much more "energy independent" in the process, which would reliance our dangerous dependence on Middle Eastern oil.

Check out the article - it might help you.