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From: Ordania-DM@cup.portal.com (Charles K Hughes)
Newsgroups: sci.energy,sci.electronics,sci.physics
Subject: Re: solar cells
Message-ID: <37507@cup.portal.com>
Date: 3 Jan 91 01:58:23 GMT
References: <1990Dec31.171413.18138@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu>
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Organization: The Portal System (TM)
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  First a question:  Why is this thread posted to three groups?

Now for the real reason for my post:

Mark writes:
>This subject has always intrigued me. I did a little research some time
>back and found --
>
>Using commercially available solar cells we could produce all the energy
>we (USA) now consume with about 10000 sq mi of 10 watt panels. The cost
>would be on the order of 100 trillion dollars (yes, that's a T). That's a
>big number but my question is this: Presumably such a project would take
>tens of years to complete so the cost would be amortized over many years.
>How can we determine if we can afford it based on GNP and all that. I've

  Based on GNP I don't think you can.  However, I think you are neglecting 
the savings benefit - you need to subtract the current cost of fuel &
maintenance and add the new cost of maintenance to get the real cost.
Also, there are other factors that would have to be added in (as someone
pointed out in an earlier post) - the cost of money, climatic alterations,
startup costs [somebody has to make those 10000 sq miles of panels :) ],
etc, etc.

>done the calculation for my energy use and my house and found that it
>would double the cost of my house (I have a fairly expensive house). If it's

  It might double the cost of your house, but you won't be worried about
losing power, power lines falling, heating or electricity bills, etc.
If we remained on a power grid the cost of electricity shouldn't increase 
much, and it shouldn't do anything to the cost of your home.

>possible for me as an individual (though painful) it should be possible for
>a country as a whole, no? Particularly when amortized over a hundred years

  No.  A lot of people don't have homes. :)

>or so.

  Banks don't do 100 year mortgages. :)

>
>BTW, if anyone has serious heartburn over my figures I can post them
>it's only 10 or 12 lines.

  Please do, I don't have serious heartburn but there is a little pain 
from that 100T figure, and the doubling of the cost of a home.

>
>Mark

Charles_K_Hughes@cup.portal.com