Comments on: Affordable Solar Power, Breakthrough Solar Systems

By: Brandon Kountz

Brandon Kountz — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:18:46 +0000

Just checked the site its 200 W per panel

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:51:17 +0000

I agree with you, Dave. It seems to me that photovoltaic panels have been around for long enough that if they were going to take off, they would have done.

The truth is, solar panels are inefficient, expesive, ugly and unreliable solutions to a problem that we can solve with other, more practical, more reliable and cheaper alternatives.

In the global energy future, I can only see solar playing a very small part, perhaps a slightly larger one in areas of great exposure to sunshine. It is almost certainly not going to be a direct major energy source for us in the future.

By: David M

David M — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:11:09 +0000

If these or any other panels will pay for themselves over such a short period, I’m surprised that the manufacturers haven’t teamed with a bank to finance the sale / purchase transaction. Notwithstanding the interest cost, which I suspect is being ignored in their figures, a loan could be repaid within 5 years by the utility generated energy costs saved.

I’m all for solar or any other clean energy but if the payback numbers are correct, the panels should be racing for the exit doors. Either someone is missing an opportunity or something is wrong with the numbers.

By: California Solar Engineering

California Solar Engineering — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:17:06 +0000

Cost is currently the only reason NOT to go solar- the cheaper they become and the better incentives follow-through the more we will all win.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:40:26 +0000

But how much power do they generate?