JAK
06-29-2008, 04:44 PM
Solar Gary and others,
What is your take on the future of solar energy prices?
1. First of all, the impact of rising oil prices on solar energy costs. If say furnace oil doubles, how much should one expect the cost of a photo-electric panel to go up? 50%?
2. How about DIY solar hot water and solar space heating projects, and insulation? How closely are those materials tied to the price of oil?
3. Photo-electric vs DIY solar heat engine. My guess is that photo-electric is and will continue to be simpler if not cheaper, though the solar heat engine projects might still be worth doing in combined heat and power applications, as long as the time you put into it written off as hobby time. Time and materials might be better spent building DIY batteries. Not sure. Depends on where the fun is I guess. Maybe relatively more viable further North, because we need the heat and have lower temperatures for heat rejection. Not sure. Thoughts?
4. Finally, thin foil technology, ala the Google Guys. How much potential is there for this reduce the cost of photo-electric energy compared to existing technology? How will it effect the sustainability in terms of total life cycle costs, recycling, toxic materials, and all that?
One of my concerns is that if we have a real depression, nobody will be able to afford to make the transition even when they become cost justified, even to insulate their homes better, simply because we won't have the cash. Lots of stuff will be cheaper and more affordable, but there will be no money to buy it with.
Of course the government will likely interfere for a while in whatever does make the most sense, so there might not be too much sense in making sense of any or all of this even if we knew.
What is your take on the future of solar energy prices?
1. First of all, the impact of rising oil prices on solar energy costs. If say furnace oil doubles, how much should one expect the cost of a photo-electric panel to go up? 50%?
2. How about DIY solar hot water and solar space heating projects, and insulation? How closely are those materials tied to the price of oil?
3. Photo-electric vs DIY solar heat engine. My guess is that photo-electric is and will continue to be simpler if not cheaper, though the solar heat engine projects might still be worth doing in combined heat and power applications, as long as the time you put into it written off as hobby time. Time and materials might be better spent building DIY batteries. Not sure. Depends on where the fun is I guess. Maybe relatively more viable further North, because we need the heat and have lower temperatures for heat rejection. Not sure. Thoughts?
4. Finally, thin foil technology, ala the Google Guys. How much potential is there for this reduce the cost of photo-electric energy compared to existing technology? How will it effect the sustainability in terms of total life cycle costs, recycling, toxic materials, and all that?
One of my concerns is that if we have a real depression, nobody will be able to afford to make the transition even when they become cost justified, even to insulate their homes better, simply because we won't have the cash. Lots of stuff will be cheaper and more affordable, but there will be no money to buy it with.
Of course the government will likely interfere for a while in whatever does make the most sense, so there might not be too much sense in making sense of any or all of this even if we knew.