The Solar Industry

[dback]

Well.......how much money did we toss down the ole Crapper with this one.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44350029.../#.Tl7ng3Pagps
I provide services to 4 large farms who have sold large acreages to the Solar Industry under O's stimulus here in Az. The deals had to be done ASAP in order to receive the tax breaks and three of the four are nearing completion now. My neighbor, a nuclear engineer and supervisor at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, tells me the power generated by these plants will cost double that of Palo Verde......thank goodness it is mostly going to Ca. The Azimuth Project http://www.azimuthproject.org/azimut...ic+solar+power was ground farmed by Del Monte and if my calculations are correct is about 1500 acres at this point (will be about 2400 when complete). Paloma Ranch (1800 acres) is near complete, Big Horn (1600 acres) is a ways off and Wilco has been put on hold. It will be interesting to see if they pay out or become a money 'black hole'.

[Buzz]

Double the cost of nuclear; and nuclear definitely isn't the cheapest of the "traditional" generation methods. That link to the Azimuth Project looks interesting, thanks for posting it. Too bad I have to hit the sack now.

[Gerry Clinchy]

What I can't figure out is why nobody has come up with a more efficient/cost effective way to mfg solar cells-panels.

[EdA]

Well.......how much money did we toss down the ole Crapper with this one.

$535,000,000, that is $535 million according to this article

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/08/3...link=email_msg

[Socks]

Double the cost of nuclear; and nuclear definitely isn't the cheapest of the "traditional" generation methods. That link to the Azimuth Project looks interesting, thanks for posting it. Too bad I have to hit the sack now.

The only reason why nuclear is so expensive is because the so called environmentalists are against it and spend millions fighting it. Then you have the taxes that nuke plants have to collect for disposing of spent fuel which the fed government happily collects, but never "spends" on said fuel disposal.

Yeah they're more expensive than coal, but they'd be a lot cheaper if it weren't for the two items listed above.

[dback]

$535,000,000, that is $535 million according to this article

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/08/3...link=email_msg

I guess I was aiming the question more at the industry as a whole. The link I provided had the 535 million figure and the additional 1 billion from investors.... additionally it mentions the 3 other companies that have filed for protection this year alone. What it doesn't cover is how many others were provided funds that have died on the vine. I know the Azimuth Project is already on it's second owner and was completely redesigned/re-engineered to facilitate early ground breaking and completion dates and therefore the tax breaks. My understanding is that Chinese panels and engineering were used in its construction as were also used on a small site at ASU West Campus (approx. 40 acres). I visited with several of the supervisors on the ASU site and one of the engineers stated that it would take nearly 25 years to recoup the investment and unfortunately the expected effective life span of the panels is.........25 years. (I have no idea what he based his figures on) I'm no engineer and have no idea whether there is new technology coming to expand panel life, reduce costs or more effectively use solar energy. While I would like to see this work......I fear it is nothing more than a very expensive Utopian dream.