Question Solar Panels?

[rynnor]

Is anyone not going to get Solar Panels now???

With the enormous subsidies the demand for such panels will now be enormous especially for higher rate tax payers and above who can effectively make an investment tax free with a gauranteed return way above the bank rates - bootifull - really bootifull as the Great Bernard Matthews would say

It'll do sod all for the incoming energy crisis tho

Edit - the biggest flaw with it is that it has to be installed by a guy with the govts certification scheme.

 

[xane]

I'm not convinced the current low cost range of solar cells can achieve the required "energy payback", i.e. the energy cost to make versus the energy produced over the lifetime of the cell. Whilst in theory a modern cell should easily pay back manufacturing cost, my own experience with "10 year lifetime" energy saving light bulbs proves otherwise, I'd almost guarantee that solar cells will have such a high failure rate, as with bulbs, they are effectively an "energy cost" and detrimental to the planet.

 

[rynnor]

Whilst in theory a modern cell should easily pay back manufacturing cost, my own experience with "10 year lifetime" energy saving light bulbs proves otherwise, I'd almost guarantee that solar cells will have such a high failure rate, as with bulbs, they are effectively an "energy cost" and detrimental to the planet.

Of course the whole thing is horribly flawed but I would suggest if viewed purely as an investment its extremely attractive

 

[Turamber]

One of our audit clients is an Italian owned central heating company. They are getting into this market in a big way - apparently the new cells are much more powerful than the old ones. Must admit I don't know much about the governments incentive schemes though, do you have any links?

 

[rynnor]

Must admit I don't know much about the governments incentive schemes though, do you have any links?

The last Budget the other week brought it in - check there or a more general site like Solar Panels Grants & Feed In Tariffs Clean Energy Cashback

Note you earn 41p per Kw produced even if you use it

 

[Tilda]

My parents have just had some fitted.
They had grants comeing out of the wazzoo for theirs - Photovoltaic rather than hot water ones.
They recon it'll be 10 years till they break even and then after that they earn at around 7%, tax free, which is better than an ISA.
Also cuts their leccie bills.

 

[Embattle]

One great thing is they should continue to improve as competition is hotting up.

 

[ECA]

What solar needs is grid parity.

What grid parity means is - the price of generating solar panel is the same as the current average cost to the grid.

It basically means we get to replace nuclear+coal+gas stations with solar panels for the same ( or lower ) cost - with the added benefits of no pollution/etc.

Estimates on grid parity are 5-10 years.

 

[rynnor]

Estimates on grid parity are 5-10 years.

You actually think its possible? Nuclear is dirt cheap if you ignore the waste problem and its getting a lot cheaper.

The problem with solar panels are that to get more effecient ones you have to manufacture them more precisely that tends to inflate the prices plus they cannot be a mass solution currently as they require rare elements that have very limited supplies but nice little earner while it lasts.

Edit - oh and the obvious flaw with your green vision is the lack of power after dark

 

[Scouse]

Nuclear is dirt cheap if you ignore the waste problem

A statement as ridiculous as it is true

 

[xane]

The PV cell is a technological dead end, in the same way the CFL bulb is.

By the time CFL bulbs came to market, the LED technology had already surpassed it, we've wasted tons of money, as well as tons of planet-destroying energy, making millions of useless items. Most of the bulbs that depended on a 10 year life cycle to attain energy payback wont meet it, meaning wasted energy.

The panels on most people's roofs are solar water heaters, not PV cells. The combination of heating water and storing it in a tank is far more efficient energy management than PV and a battery, this has become particularly viable in recent years due to electric motor technology, in the pump that drives the water around, which is why PV has already been surpassed.

Real solar energy comes from either huge mirrors concentrating the heat, greenhouse style energy capture, or heat exchangers like a solar powered stirling engine.

 

[Ch3tan]

Rynnor, any other links with sites for good info on this? We were considering going this route for all our rental properties.

 

[MYstIC G]

Solar power : Directgov - Environment and greener living

 

[Tom]

Waste of time and money unless you're heating water through pipes.

PV cells never pay themselves back, especially not in this country. Any grants offered are merely a political ploy to "make us look green". Just like the silly windymills springing up all over the country, like an ugly white virus.

 

[old.user4556]

The once lovely view of the Ochill Hills behind Stirling is now ruined by windfarms, no thanks to the big fat fuck Alex Salmond and his band of Braveheart subscribing shite.

 

[rynnor]

Its interesting that if you look at all the subsidies that are being handed out they look to be trying to decentralise electricity production (the best one for that is the gas systems that generate electricity).

I dont know if its paranoia but I cant help but be reminded of all those stories recently about the future energy crisis in the UK as our aging Gas/Nuclear power stations are retired.

I wonder if they are preparing us for the future disruption of the national grid?

 

[Scouse]

I wonder if they are preparing us for the future disruption of the national grid?

I've been saying they should have been doing this for years. If they want to talk about "energy security" then there's no point without distributed generation.

 

[Trem]

The once lovely view of the Ochill Hills behind Stirling is now ruined by windfarms, no thanks to the big fat fuck Alex Salmond and his band of Braveheart subscribing shite.

FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!

Mel Gibson is a lying racist fuck nugget and no mistake

Whats this thread about again?

Oooh Edam cheese ftw!

 

[ECA]

The once lovely view of the Ochill Hills behind Stirling is now ruined by windfarms, no thanks to the big fat fuck Alex Salmond and his band of Braveheart subscribing shite.

Mel Gibson has a lot to answer for.

 

[Yaka]

few years a go this kid William Yuan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia found a nifty way of working solar panels, no idea if you can buy these panels tho

 

[rynnor]

few years a go this kid William Yuan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia found a nifty way of working solar panels, no idea if you can buy these panels tho

Yah - shame he made that up really

 

[Yaka]

he did?

 

[old.user4556]

Mel Gibson has a lot to answer for.

Hah, funny you mention that, I went to see Bowling For Soup in Glasgow last night and the front man said something about not knowing anything about Scotland when one of the audience members shouted "FREEDOM!".

 

[rynnor]

he did?

Yes I think so - on first reading it struck me as suspect and the more you look at it the more it becomes apparent that he created the page about himself and filled it with wild unsubstantiated claims - funny tho

 

[Yaka]

ah, remeber reading about him yonks ago on few sites didnt realise it was fake

 

[rynnor]

ah, remeber reading about him yonks ago on few sites didnt realise it was fake

I'm not certain either way but the stories only on a few internet only sites and they all seem to be carrying the same detail so I imagine he mailed them.

If he had made a breakthrough I'd expect either a published paper or some attempt to patent it but theres no links to such. The wild claims as to its effeciency seem to be unsubstantiated and the article he links to is nothing to do with him.

Its quite clever though - its given me some unscrupulous ideas

I reckon you could produce quite a convincing 'child prodigy' construct with a small amount of effort