Re: Profitable Solar Power - A suggestion

How long did we play with the internal combustion engine before it
became
practical and reliable?

**** I don't know. I suppose it is probably as good now as it will
ever be..... Anyway, I am not talking about ICEs, A completely
different technology that has proved it's usefullness. Let us stay on
the subject I addressed ; Energy production by silicon solar
cells.......



My first transistor cost a month's salary for an young engineer and was

limited to the audio range. It cost a lot more to produce in terms of
energy
then it saved in the application where it was used.

*** You were gypped. My first was a CK722 and it cost me a buck
apiece. It was not used to produce energy, but to realize
amplification of
small electrical signals. A completely different purpose, whose
only
rivals at that time were magnetic amplifiers and electron tubes, both
of
which I had build amplifier with..... I liked the CK722 because it
didn't
shock me when I touched the wrong wire....... I am not aware of any
transistor that was sold commercially that cost a month's salary in
that
time. Please mention the number --- I am nostalgic about it.....
Since then , of course, I have run into a number of transistors that
cost
a month's salary. They are usually high power devices that run in the
UHF region and above, which I used to build transmitters with....
.... but still a completely different subject.




But considering that it cost $10K per pound to toss into LOE (low
earth
orbit) it was a bargain at any price.

**** Yeah, and I am paying $100K a pound for my prostate pill, which is

also a bargain at any price..... but still a completely different
subject..

Give it time and it'll not likely take as much as you think.


**** It's been over 50 years. The efficiency of a solar cell is still
17% max theoretical.
And you still get it by melting sand. Solar arrays have been around
$6 a watt and
higher for the last 20 years, in spite of government grants, research,
and tax
incentives......... None of the "lower price" arguments have even
started to be
realized..... Just look up ANY of the solar array prices on the
net.......

I've been doing solar for about20 years, and not one damn thing has
changed.....
except the energy credits have gone away because they didn't pan
out.....

I wish you could prove me wrong, but so far, you haven't changed my
opinion
which is based on first hand experience working with this stuff....

Andy

.

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