Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’

NY Times ^ | 4-27-11 | MIREYA NAVARRO

[Eldon Tyrell]

You will note the lack of hard numbers - other than dimensions and heights.

This is dumber than “Cash for Clunkers”.

[Publius6961]

If this is true it likely would take decades to recoup the power required to make them per panel.

As long as we are subsidizing the "green" asylum, they will NEVER pay for themselves before their useful life is over. No "public" application of this technology is ever examined completely for the actual money spent to build them. The subsidies (and maintenance) are never accounted for.

Of course making all conventional sources of energy double or triple in price is the usual political bureaucratic way to "even things out."

[Eldon Tyrell]

Note that if everyone on the street just turned their computers off overnight it would save about 10X that much.

[LostInBayport]

I wonder how they will fare in an ice storm?

Followed by some of those snowstorms we had last winter, where roofs were in danger. I wonder how much heavy snow those panels could take before...snap!

[Brookhaven]

This is classic “liberal feel good “ garbage. What a waste of money!!

Who is John Galt?

[Betis70]

Looks like all the utility poles and wiring were plenty hideous before the solar panels arrived.

[woodbutcher1963]

It would literally be better to give away FREE washing machines, refridgerators and insulation than spend money on solar panals.

Of course, then people would turn around and sell them for the money to buy something else.

I will bet 25 % of these solar panals are stolen within a year.

[MileHi]

Payback is only 30 YEARS (with 0% interest)...

Life cycle 15 - 20 if all goes well

[Justa]

“Won’t take long till half are broken.”

But they get the tax breaks for installing them not for them working.

[MileHi]

Acres of them at DIA. They claim it can power the shuttle train for three months, so probably one or two at best. Have not heard the number$ but the install at The Denver Museum will break even in about 80 years. 0bozo and Tax Ritter love to do photo-ops there.

[PATRIOT1876]

*”Oil prices are going through the roof, planet is being destroyed by power plants and these people who were given access to sustainable energy are complaining about the view. Attitudes need to change or we're doomed.” *

I have mixed feeling here. On the one hand, I’m tempted to disregard anything said by a person who still believes that “the planet is being destroyed by power plants”—he STILL believes in the AGW hoax?!?! On the other hand, solar panel have become cheap enough that they are now useful for light duty, charging up lights that come on when it gets dark, etc.

The people complaining about solar panels being an eyesore should NEVER come from anyone who identifies themselves as greenies. If you hate oil and worship Al Gore and his lies, keep your mouth shut if solar offends you. You have lost the right to mention global warming.

[RnMomof7]

I know that more energy is used to make and transport windmills than they will ever produce.. and in our area if you “green electricity “ you also pay more for it on your bill

[PATRIOT1876]

*Note they posted a “Correction” on 4/30 saying it would take a year to generate enough power to run four 60 watt light bulbs for four months straight. One has to wonder if those were CFLs or the evil old incandescents that actually consume 60 watts.*

Did they figure in the cost (about $2000 each to clean up a curly-Q bulb) when a CFL breaks?

[ßuddaßudd]

Half will be stolen withing a year or so.
I got mine of a bike trail a few years ago that had to have a emergency phone out in the middle of nowhere. /sarc?

[Eldon Tyrell]

maytag lobbyists not doing their jobs!

Jobs would stay in USA as well.

Agreed on stealth - but 25% is a lot. Wind and bad wiring will kill more than that.

Anyone who knows anything know - you don’t put these up in onesies - This program is total insanity.

[massgopguy]

I worked at Solar Power Corporation of America in the early 80’s. Solar Power cost about $5 a Kilowatt hour. It’s only efficient and effective in remote locations. Like the ARAMCO pipeline we built the panels for.

[Siena Dreaming]

For some reason, they thought that oil rigs were the only eyesore on the planet.

You want convenience and warm homes, you have to deal with malls, roads, energy plants and not going back-to-nature.

That's just the way it is.

[TheOldLady]

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[SaraJohnson]

I want windmills off the Kennedy compound!!

---

I want them fitted for all the bedrooms.

[SaraJohnson]

Those panels would last about five minutes on the Gulf. First storm...goners.