Re: My Modest Proposal to End Global Warming, Revitalize General Aviation, and End Our Dependence on Foreign Oil


If I recall the article I read a few years back correctly, conventional glass covered solar panels require more energy to make than they will ever produce in their entire lives. Anyone have any data?


http://jupiter.clarion.edu/~jpearce/Papers/netenergy.pdf


ABSTRACT
A number of detailed studies on the energy requirements on the three types of photovoltaic (PV) materials, which make up the majority of the active solar market: single crystal,polycrystalline, and amorphous silicon were reviewed. It was found that modern PV cells based on these silicon technologies pay for themselves in terms of energy in a few years (1-5 years). They thus generate enough energy over their lifetimes to reproduce themselves many times (6-31 reproductions)depending on what type of material, balance of system, and the geographic location of the system. It was found that regardless of material, built-in PV systems are a superior ecological choice to centralized PV plants. Finally, the results indicate that efficiency plays a secondary role to embodied energy in theoverall net energy production of modern solar cells.



Interesting, but this study readily admits in both paragraphs under "Introduction" that total LCA (life cycle analysis) for the gathering/mining of the raw materials, transportation of all materials, entire production of the cells, glass panels, metal frames, batteries, wiring, electronics, and disposal/recycling of all components is too difficult and that each individual system would have to be quantified independently.

Thus, their conclusions above are based only on "Net Energy Analysis" (the study of only the PV cells themselves).

I would like to believe there is a solution to the energy problem. Not sure yet if PV is it.

Thanks for the info and research. It was interesting.

Mike
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