First a long rant at J, my wife. Sorry honey.
She likes to save the planet and in that attempt has been harping for the past five years, about buying a Prius, installing solar heater, and finally installing solar panels for electricity. The cost of making them do not factor into her equation; after all solar power is expensive since solar panels are expensive; solar panels are expensive since it takes a lot of energy to make solar panels which means that manufacturing process emits more carbon-dioxide. The previous statement is simplified, but in essence what I am saying is; the price of a commodity is proportional to the energy required to manufacture it. And at this point, solar panels have been commoditized (unlike say Rolex watches).
So in essense, the manufacturing of solar panels has emitted huge amounts of green house gases even before they generated a single Joule of energy. Unless sufficient efficiencies are achieved either in making solar panels or in the energy yield of a solar panel, the making of solar panels could produce more green house gases than burning fossil fuel directly to generate the energy that would be generated by solar panels. I found a couple of site; I did not do detailed research whether these sites are truly objective.
Site 1: This site talks about the high energy needs besides additional green house gases emitted during manufacturing process.
Site 2: This link talks about the geographical distribution of solar energy and how it is very good idea in tropical areas but not at all in northern countries.
This is not to imply that burning fossil fuels is the way; in fact I believe that some form of solar energy conversion is the way of the future. What I feel is to look it in logically and not reflexively; the sea levels are rising, so go get solar panels today! Also understand that solar cells cost a lot of money; there just is no free lunch.
She likes to save the planet and in that attempt has been harping for the past five years, about buying a Prius, installing solar heater, and finally installing solar panels for electricity. The cost of making them do not factor into her equation; after all solar power is expensive since solar panels are expensive; solar panels are expensive since it takes a lot of energy to make solar panels which means that manufacturing process emits more carbon-dioxide. The previous statement is simplified, but in essence what I am saying is; the price of a commodity is proportional to the energy required to manufacture it. And at this point, solar panels have been commoditized (unlike say Rolex watches).
So in essense, the manufacturing of solar panels has emitted huge amounts of green house gases even before they generated a single Joule of energy. Unless sufficient efficiencies are achieved either in making solar panels or in the energy yield of a solar panel, the making of solar panels could produce more green house gases than burning fossil fuel directly to generate the energy that would be generated by solar panels. I found a couple of site; I did not do detailed research whether these sites are truly objective.
Site 1: This site talks about the high energy needs besides additional green house gases emitted during manufacturing process.
Site 2: This link talks about the geographical distribution of solar energy and how it is very good idea in tropical areas but not at all in northern countries.
This is not to imply that burning fossil fuels is the way; in fact I believe that some form of solar energy conversion is the way of the future. What I feel is to look it in logically and not reflexively; the sea levels are rising, so go get solar panels today! Also understand that solar cells cost a lot of money; there just is no free lunch.
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