All these improvements are impressive. However, in the bigger picture of making this society renewable-energy driven, are these improvements enough to make a major impact and receive a $535 million loan guarantee from the government? Known disadvantages are a high payback time and large land size required for installation (if not on rooftops). These issues are not necessarily addressed. Most of all, low efficiency even with the help of new cylindrical PV cells might not be significant enough to overcome the efficiency deficit with power plants.
[1] Solyndra Inc.
[2] Energy Department Issues First Renewable-Energy Loan Guarantee
[3] Energy, Technology & Policy class - Lecture 8: Renewable Power
1 comment:
This is one of those times when you say "I wish I would have thought of that." The technology is impressive, but I agree with the author that the details are a little vague. We can and should support with tax dollars the research and development needed to improve our national energy situation. However, too many times we are forced to support what ends up amounting to nothing more than another pork barrel project that really is not good science in the first place. If the congress was forced to provide full disclosure and transparency on all of their projects and then held accountable, I believe we could provide some really effective support to academia to solve these problems. I believe that we can do both: we can support valid and defendable science and while at the same time providing strict oversight of the taxpayers' money. This can be done, academia is ready but we will need some integrity returned to our leaders in the congress.
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