Xref: utzoo sci.energy:3648 sci.electronics:16502 sci.physics:16093
Newsgroups: sci.energy,sci.electronics,sci.physics
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: solar cells
Message-ID: <1990Dec28.210436.10601@zoo.toronto.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <1990Dec17.190857.16559@engin.umich.edu>
Date: Fri, 28 Dec 90 21:04:36 GMT

In article <1990Dec17.190857.16559@engin.umich.edu> ssave@caen.engin.umich.edu (Shailendra Anant Save) writes:
> I am intrigued by solar methods of generating power. What I
>would like to know, is what is keeping this method from becoming
>the cleanest power generating method available?

(1) Solar cells are expensive to make and don't last forever.  (Also, the
	production processes are not particularly "clean" and the more
	advanced cells are often hazardous wastes when they are retired.)

(2) Extensive energy storage or extensive long-range power transmission --
	difficult and expensive either way -- is needed to cope with
	outages due to night and cloud.

(3) Solar energy is thinly spread and very large collecting areas are needed.

(4) Large-scale solar power seriously changes the heat balance of the
	surrounding area, so it is not completely clean.  In particular,
	desert areas normally reflect most sunlight back out into space,
	but when paved with solar cells, most of the energy is released
	as heat into the biosphere instead.
-- 
"The average pointer, statistically,    |Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
points somewhere in X." -Hugh Redelmeier| henry@zoo.toronto.edu   utzoo!henry