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From: amirza@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (anmar mirza)
Newsgroups: sci.energy,sci.electronics,sci.physics
Subject: Re: solar cells
Message-ID: <1991Jan3.172954.17602@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu>
Date: 3 Jan 91 17:29:54 GMT
References: <1991Jan3.072059.20842@loop.uucp>
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In article <1991Jan3.072059.20842@loop.uucp> keithl@loop.uucp (Keith Lofstrom;;;628-3645) writes:

>Most solar cells are made with processes that are similar to those used to
>make integrated circuits.  A big IC fab turns out on the order of a million
>wafers a year, and turns out tens of thousands of gallons of liquid toxic waste
>and hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of gaseous waste in the process.  
>A million 6 inch wafers is about 20,000 square meters.
Except for the amorphous panels. Though I prefer polycrystalline ones
myself.

>
>Conclusion:  Solar cells are an expensive joke for residential and bulk
>industrial power.  They are O.K. for satellites, mountaintops, toys,
>calculators, and other niches.  
Well, I don't know about being a joke, but they are ideally suited for
those smaller installations.
>*H*O*W*E*V*E*R* - they do have one saving grace, and one that I think makes
>the whole thing worthwhile:  the folks that DO install residential solar power
>systems will find themselves with a trickle of power and not much money left.
>So, if they want to survive, they will have to be fiendishly clever about
>efficient and cost-effective power use.  And the rest of us will benefit from
>the hard-won knowledge here, even if those gaining that knowledge suffer
>greatly for it.
Actually, in some instances in design I have found times when it *is*
cost effective. It never works that way out in practicality. And I
*never* figure in inflation of cost for power when I have done cost
analysis. Like I have said before, you *don't* have to make any
sacrifices to do this, it just makes it a bit cheaper. And the cost to
someone who is buying a half a million dollar house is comparitively
small.
 

>Nothing succeeds at keeping a determined person at a task as effectively
>as telling them how ridiculous they are.  So for all of you solar folks
>that I have made RAGING MAD, please take that emotional energy and make
>something impressive with it.  You are free to flame at me, but you will
>bring about an energy revolution faster by building inexpensive and
>attractive energy-saving products, rather than sounding off about evil
>power companies and energy company conspiracies like a paranoid flake.
Actually, I am not raging mad at you, I get the feeling you are
baiting us. And personally I have never said that solar is the only
way to go. All along I have been saying that it will take a
combination of things to make it work. The biggest of all is a reduced
population level. Besides, if we have these attractive energy saving
products, we don't have to buy as many solar panels.
And I am not paranoid. You all are just out to get me :). If you want
to put your trust in a public utility, that is fine by me, I just want
people to have an alternative if they want it, and from the interest I
have found, people want it.

>And if any of those products require efficient, cost-effective use of
>silicon, give me a call ;-)
Ok, I would like 30 arco M75 48 watt panels 8-).



--
Anmar Mirza   # If a product is good, # I speak only my   # Space, humans next
EMT-A         # they will stop making # opinions on these # goal in the race 
N9ISY (tech)  # it. Unless it is      # subjects, IU has  # for immortality.
Networks Tech.# designed to kill.     # it's own.         # --- me