Frugal solar panels? - Page 3

 

PVs are hideously expensive compared to solar heat from a sunspace, which
can cost 100 times less per peak watt and provide useful floorspace. Most
US houses need several times more heat energy than electrical energy.

With a $50 used car radiator and its 20 watt fans, a sunspace can also
store 140 F water in a large unpressurized tank containing a $60 1"x300'
13-gallon pressurized plastic pipe coil to make hot water for showers.
The same radiator can heat the house with tank water on cloudy days.

Amorphous silicon solar electricity should get cheaper in a year or so,
with companies like XsunX coming on line with a manufacturing cost close
to $1.50 per peak watt for panels which produce more electricity than other
kinds in dim sun and high temperatures. XsunX stock seems interesting at
42 cents/share, with a $21 million venture capital commitment, which isn't
easy to get these days. Unisolar's similar product has a long waiting list.

Nick

  On Jun 18, 4:44 pm, oprah.cho...@gmail.com wrote:

A couple of my neighbors on my street have solar panels, but I think
that they just use them because they work in energy conservation.

Solar is starting to become practical where there is plenty of
sunshine and electric rates are high. Remote locations, where one
can't get on the grid at all offer the best payoff, but some type of
battery storage would then be necessary.

--
    Ron