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Why are scientists interested in solar power as an alternative to fossil fuels?

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Why are scientists interested in solar power as an alternative to fossil fuels?

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  1. By harnessing solar energy we help save on the planet’s limited and fast depleting energy resources such as gas, petroleum, oil and coal. It is non-polluting and helps in lessening the greenhouse effect. Solar energy installed in your house could save you thousands of dollars in your lifetime by eliminating energy bills. Not only that, the local utility company will even credit you for giving them whatever surplus energy you generate!

    Solar is definitely the way of the future...especially in areas that get a lot of very strong sunlight. For more, please see

    http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php/Sola...


  2. There's plenty of land.  Imagine we only put solar panels above the areas we've already PAVED OVER.  In the USA alone that's 39 million acres, or 157 billion square meters.  Assuming weak solar panels with a conservative 1kwh per square meter per day, that's 157 billion kwh per day.

    But how much does America use?  In electricity alone, 10.45 billion KWH per day.  We've beat it by 15x over.  What about all energy from all sources - gasoline, coal, nuke, the works?  80 billion KWH per day.  We beat that twice over.

    That's just from the ALREADY PAVED OVER areas of the USA - roads and parking lots.

    So land is not an issue.

    Solar advocates are expecting "Grid Parity" to happen soon - the point when it's actually cheaper to buy a solar panel than buy the power from the grid.  George W Bush, no friend to alternative power, puts the date at 2015.   How can it be "cheaper" to buy a big thing up front rather than buy a little thing ongoing?  You have to understand basic financing - loans, depreciation etc.

  3. Because fossil fuels will run out soon.   :(

  4. Got to start some place.

    But the naked truth is, right now solar or wind can not even come close to providing enough energy for the world.

  5. I is renewable, cheap ,and will always be there, and it does not pollute the atmosphere if thats what your into.

  6. Additionally, Solar energy is there in large quantity - oil reserves are fast being depleted

    gone before you know it

    we will need another energy source

  7. Scientists like to do research, and solar cells have just now reached 40% efficiency.

    Even if they don't have much impact on energy supply, NASA and the space program is always interested in more efficient solar cells.

    As far as competing with fossil fuels or nuclear, there isn't enough land area to solar to be an alternative.

  8. because fossile fuels damage the atmosphere when you burn them and also will run out after the next few decades. Solar energy will be around for millions of years to come and is completely clean.

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