What is Digg?52 Comments
- budgetguitar, on 07/08/2008, -2/+15Damn foreign auto makers...
- mijelh, on 07/09/2008, -0/+7In Spain, subsidies for solar panels are really high, ranging from 210€ to 120€/square meter.
- CalgaryFreedom, on 07/08/2008, -3/+10Just read some stories about GM closing plants and considering bankruptcy... can they afford solar panels?
- cheezintern, on 07/09/2008, -1/+7well most of their factories are outside the US....
- Greengoo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3I'm beside myself... you managed to spell "potty" wrong...
- Eli05, on 07/09/2008, -2/+5Hey, I have a great idea for GM why don't they use alternative engergy where is makes sense to do so? Oh wait they do. Someone at GM isn't a moron. How about you check out http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/04/landfill_g ...
And what's with all the Hummer hate? I can go buy a Toyota Sequoia that only gets a few MPG better than a H2 and worse fuel economy than a H3. Way to go Toyota! - jbmcb, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3It's not about $1 a week. It's about being paid $30/hour weather they are working or not. And requiring three people to supervise changing a light bulb. And no-deductible health insurance (Got an earache? Go to the ER! Got a rash? Go to the ER!)
There's a very comfortable medium between sweatshop wages and the maddeningly stupid compensation packages and union structure at some factories. - sk11, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Because all other energy sources release rainbow clouds?
- winmywii, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3I'm no solar expert, but I think I read that solar panels on the roofs of cars are probably the least efficient use of the technology.
- inactive, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Basically, there's no product being made entirely on the US except for food.
- Greengoo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I work for Nissan. We pay our plant guys like 25-30 bucks an hour, just like the UAW. The only difference is, if our plant workers suck or don't work, we can fire them.
- BradMajors, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3In Spain, the subsidies for solar power are so large it should be economical to replace skylights with solar panels, thereby lighting the interiors of buildings with panels rather than using natural light.
- tuxerware, on 07/09/2008, -2/+4Well actually in Europe we RECYCLE out waste, we don't just dump in a land fill and hope that the magic tooth fairy will solve it for us. Secondly since the energy that the solar panels produce probably replaces energy produced by coal power that's another win.
- jmartin1117, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3GM seems to really be pusing their green image - first ditching the Hummer, now solar panels, and eventually the Volt may even get released too!
- mgbuddy, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2That plant makes only Opel cars. Not any american GM car...
That's only to take the subsidies from the government. Now the electric solar panels are more or less as economically efficient as power line, even in the sunny Spain (that's getting better each year, though..).
That's the last year of those huge subsidies in Spain.
BTW, in spain 27% of the electric power came from renewable energy, the current plans will allow to get to almost 50% on 2020. - gtluke, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2they were covering all the rooftops in their california warehouses with solar a few years ago, haven't heard an update though.
http://www.greentechnolog.com/2007/09/general_moto ... - inactive, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2The US could learn one thing or two from them.
- r3tl4w, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2wow this is great... everyone should do this... not just big business, but households too. Only deterrent for most atm is price I suppose.
- winmywii, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1They are foreign to Spain.
- FallenWings, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I'm sorry, but this seems like a massive waste of time and money, and nothing more than a limp-wristed symbolic gesture of environmentalism. GM should be pouring these funds into building the Volt and other green vehicles. I feel bad for the GM workforce, who are already paying for the shortsighted business decisions of their executives. This is like a band-aid on a bullet wound, and you all should be as unimpressed as I am.
- jacoback, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3finally!! maybe now the world will start droping it's dependence on the oil company which are driving us all to bankrupcy. I only wish they started these activities a few years earlier.
- cheezintern, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3it's probably the only way they're able to get rid of the expensive union employees
- zacharytelschow, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1"Only deterrent for most atm is price I suppose."
Only deterrent for ALL is price. If this paid for itself in a reasonable amount of time, everyone would do it. But it doesn't. The only reason GM is doing this in Spain is the subsidies several have mentioned above. - beauley, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1With Global Warming on many people's minds, do we have any ideas of the best way to lessen the impact on our future, or maybe a possible relief of its possible ravages or even a possible key to its eventual reversal. Many scientific experts have proposed
http://www.quazen.com/Science/Technology/Solar-Pow ...
Solar Power, Source of Endless Energy - AndreiOttawa, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Why? It might be enough to power your radio, but that's about it.
- zacharytelschow, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Another article that doesn't give ANY DETAILS. How much do the panels cost? What is the payback period? What is the price of electricity in the areas where GM is doing this? If this makes such great sense, why haven't I heard about tons of other people doing the same thing? And most importantly, why the heck weren't those questions answered in this second rate article?
- inactive, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Labor isn't cheap in Spain.
- zacharytelschow, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2The Spanish government offers huge subsidies on solar panels. The American government does not. This move makes financial sense there but doesn't here. There's a reason they don't let just anyone run companies, and you illustrated it here.
- zacharytelschow, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1And here is the point everyone is missing. Its a monetary decision (based on comments above, evidentally backed by Spanish subsidies) which makes this choice affordable. This is not a political or "green" move on their part.
- scamper22, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0it's greeeeeen. that's all that counts.
"Todd, can I interest you in a glass of grape juice?"
"What?! What the ***** is juice? I want some grape drink baby. Mmm its purple."
"I dunno what grape drink is."
"What?!" "I have some apple juice if…"
"***** what the ***** is juice! I want some apple drink!! Its greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!!"
(Chappelle, For What It's Worth, 2005) - alexkreuz, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0Meh,
I've fallen asleep to the radio before and woken up with a dead battery. - mrbojangles9211, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1Why the hell are they not doing this in the US?
- JDizzle614, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0This doesn't make any sense to do at a plant in the U.S, or in Michigan for that matter.... I mean, it's not like they need the jobs a project like this would create.
/sarcasm - DestroyFascism, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1Ah Ok so everyone should sack expensive union workers and employ slaves for $1 a week...
Who is going to buy the cars? - mickin014, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1When it comes to saving GM money, they are all about it. However, when it comes to them developing alternative fuel vehicles they can't do it. They deserve to keep losing money. What a bunch of losers!
- WiretapStudios, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1Did GM just make a smart decision and / or something that is worthy of respect? I'm a little impressed! If only their ideas for the U.S. were as smart.
- samyoungguitar, on 07/09/2008, -3/+2Way to ***** go. Definitely don't do it here. As a failing American company ready to lay off thousands of workers, definitely don't do something innovative here. Instead, build the world's biggest ***** Hummer and put it on your roof so you can be crushed beneath your horrible ***** decisions.
- nugx, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1How about going green in their own ***** country? Goddamn GM gets my goat.
- mephitix, on 07/09/2008, -4/+3With a company that has the lowest stock price since 1954, "desperation" is a word that comes to mind.
- alapoet, on 07/08/2008, -5/+3Maybe they can't afford NOT to install solar paneling... They're so broke, they haven't paid their power bill!
- onilosmada, on 07/09/2008, -2/+0Lol bankrupcy
- marabout40, on 07/08/2008, -3/+1GM - foreign? Did you forget to add /snark?
- blanketfury, on 07/09/2008, -6/+3The solar panels were donated by Toyota
- CYCLEORDIE, on 07/09/2008, -5/+1GM is also purchasing a fleet crop dusters, and port-o-poddy waste for a P.R. bombvertising campaign against detroit.
- adamsteinbaugh, on 07/09/2008, -5/+0Now that power is too expensive for GM, maybe they'll feel our pain as gas prices continue their inevitable march.
- inactive, on 07/09/2008, -8/+1It's too bad GM cars suck.
< / not_sarcasm > -
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