[AdamSelene235]

They will provide peak power of 84 kW, enough to supply 60 typical homes.

Careful, now is the peak power enough to supply 60 homes or the average power enough?

Gee, what's the diffence between the peak and the *average* power? Usually, its huge.

Furthermore, since the sun doesn't always shine and storage is very messy and expensive, you will ALWAYS HAVE TO BUILD THE SAME NUMBER OF *REAL* POWER PLANTS to get reliable power.

That's right the exact same number of natural gas, coal, and nuke plants will have to constructed with or without this feel good nonsense.

This stuff adds power NOT capacity.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[Atlas Sneezed]

"Furthermore, since the sun doesn't always shine and storage is very messy and expensive, you will ALWAYS HAVE TO BUILD THE SAME NUMBER OF *REAL* POWER PLANTS to get reliable power."

Which is why effeciant Hydrogen generation would be nifty (and thus usable for transportation or peak electricity generation.

[Southack]

The SP75's are 16 for $5k. If they keep the SQ80's priced the same, then your best possible under ideal circumstances power cost would be: 16*80*12 hours = 15.4 kwh per day

Times 365 (must be good weather somewhere) days = 553kwh per year or 110.6 kwh per Dollar (about $.01 per kwh).

Which would be cheap enough if you got that much peak Sunlight. With no rain. No clouds.

Somebody out in Arizona is going to love these things. Somebody in London is never even going to get to use them.

[kezekiel]

In the LA area, 1 kW of DC solar capacity (closer to 830 watts AC) will generate an average of about 130 kWh each month--a good deal less than the average home would use in a month.

I love solar, but I'm about telling the truth to customers so that they expect what they will get.

[kezekiel]

Furthermore, since the sun doesn't always shine and storage is very messy and expensive, you will ALWAYS HAVE TO BUILD THE SAME NUMBER OF *REAL* POWER PLANTS to get reliable power.

That's an overstatement. Peak periods, where we need all the capacity we can get, are when it is the hottest--in other words, when the sun is out and air conditioners are working overtime. Which is also when solar systems are at or near peak.