Hello, Fool! | Login | Signup | My Fool
Oct 8, 2008 7:29 AM ET | Feedback | Site Changes | Help
A solar energy company that designs, develops, manufactures and market a variety of PV cells and modules. Also provides PV system integration services in China.
View All Commentary (STP)
Recs
NoMoreGoodNames (99.83) Submitted: 11/07/06 2:23 PM : Start Price: $26.52 STP Score: -20.59
I am swimming against the current on this one (4 stars as I write this). However, I think STP, although not just a hype like many other alternative energy plays, doesn't have that bright a future. I'd like to see the earth powered by solar and wind energy as much as the next guy. However, I think we'll be eating green soylent before this dream comes true. I think solar panel will always stay marginal, for many reason.First of all, sun is not distributed equally on this planet. One cannot just choose to buy and install solar panels on the roof of his house, and think there's gonna be enough power for the house. Even in sunny places like California and Florida, the sun actually goes down at night. Therefore, you panels will work only a couple of hours a day, in the best conditions, unlike fossil fuels/hydroeletric/nucular :) power plants, which can operate 24/7.Then, you have another problem: these panels takes a lot of aceage to deliver enough power. If one could let these panels float all over the pacific ocean, solar energy might be a good solution for peak oil, but it's impossible. So what are you gonna do? Expropriate farmers to use their lands as solar farms? Land is getting more and more expensive all over the world as I write. Using most of it as solar farm is not that good a use when a huge proportion of the planet is starving to death. Solar electricity is great when you're powering your pocket calculator. Not a viable alternative to powering a country with 1.2 bilion people.
Report this Post Replies: 7 | Reply
Oops! There appears to be a problem with your comment. Check to see if there's something you left out.
ashitshah13 (83.92) Submitted: 3/02/07 12:19 PM
Recs: 1 | Rec This
When I look around where I live, I can not find anything enough to generae energy for ever. Solar energy, everyday falling on my house. Energy is produced wher it can be used and that itself is powerful concept. Other alternative like biofule faces same issues. "Do we have enough bio-fuel to power 1.2 biliion people". Corn prices going up as soon as people invented ethenol use. With solar, there is no transporting of energy from one place to other. Solar cell made of cheepest material on earth. Advnaces in semiconductor industry shrink the computer so same can happen with solar cell. Advancement in battery (ENER1, FCEL) tech. can help in solar application to store the energy. I believe solar energy is here to stay for good. May be it will not be used for high energy consumption but today it can power the whole single family house and that is good enough to cover many more applications in many contries if not all.
Report this Post Reply
RandomGuy123 (< 20) Submitted: 3/28/07 7:53 AM
I think the way civilization is headed is towards a combination of natural energy sources - Solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, and nuclear (isn't natural, I know, but it's seeing a huge resurgence) will rule the future. I believe solar will be a decent part of that equation. Like ash above said, solar energy is falling down, unused, all around him. It just doesn't make sense to ignore it, and eventually, science will create solar cells efficient enough to be economically viable, if for nothing else than supplementary power. Many scientists are predicting transparent 'roll on' solar cells, somewhat like solar tint, that can be applied to any smooth surface, are not that far off. I personally think that in 5 years, the price/performance ratio of solar energy will be at the point to where builders will begin offering them as an integrated option on their new homes - And I believe that many, many people will opt for them. A solar panel producing only 200 watts total can drastically cut an energy bill over the long term, and as the panels and batteries to store that energy become cheaper and more efficient, solar electricity will become much more ubiquitous.
GunLock123 (< 20) Submitted: 4/17/07 3:23 AM
Recs: 0 | Rec This
1.2 billion? Which country do you live in lol
bassegutt (< 20) Submitted: 5/24/07 7:26 PM
Recs: 2 | Rec This
A solar expert in my area created a world map indicating the geographic area that needed to be covered by solar panels to produce the total electric energy consumed by each country. A rather small fraction of desert in Nevada was indicated for the US. There are plenty of surfaces on earth, man-made (e.g. Wall-Mart roof tops -- being covered by PV panels now) and natural that can be applied for this purpose without iterfering with other usage. The main problem, I think, is the ability to store electric energy economically and practically. Without storage facilities, solar would be relegated to modest supplementary electric supplies. Even this would be significant -- but the storage problem will be solved -- hydro, pumped hydro, flywheels, compressed air, new battery technology etc. Hybrid cars will have a lot of storage capacity that can be utilized. Solar power will be very significant going forward.
chaos1978 (85.92) Submitted: 6/25/07 8:07 AM
Dude... get your science right...
shinskym (< 20) Submitted: 7/17/07 5:05 PM
I heard, that current consumer grade roof solar panels deliver about 2W per 1 sq ft, and there are panels with twice that much already so we will have a lot more energy per sq ft in near future. But even at the current level,1 sq mile of good california/nevada/arizona or african desert will generate about 50MW. So 10x10mi of desert will give 5BW of power, not so bad.The rest is power conversion, storage and distribution around the globe.
pennstatesmitty (75.17) Submitted: 8/15/08 9:20 PM
think you hit it on the head - I did read that 11% of new mexico with solar coverage with today's technology could generate all of the USA's electricity needs. now if we could just store it and deliver it......
Terms & Conditions
RSS Headlines
Fool UK