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thecoolestguyAug 30, 2009
It would cost 61.5 trillion dollars ($61,538,461,538,461) to cover that much area with solar panels. In other words, the world economy would have to sacrifice all other development/research programs for decades to get this done. Imagine all of the advances that will be foregone to get this achieved. Getting the third world out of poverty? f**k it, we need solar panels!Creating new highways/rail-lines? f**k it, every thing needs to be dedicated to creating solar panels.Expanding server farms to increase efficiency/convenience? Can't spare the man-power.Calculations.It costs $1.6 billion for a solar farm that's about 13 km square in area. The area required to power the world with solar energy is roughly equivalent to the area of France: almost 500,000 square km. cost = $1.6 billion * 500,000 km^2 / 13 km^2
greenm1981Sep 2, 2009
Concentrating Solar Power Towers are far more efficient than PV cells, and cheaper per kwh.
melonadeSep 6, 2009
Isn't there work being done to create some sort of transparent solar cell? I don't know if I read this or heard it from some crazy friend. But imagine if we could just coat all of our electronics with a transparent material that captures energy from the sun's rays ALL THE TIME. Cell phones, laptop computers, cars (think of the countless hours of sitting in a hot parking lot).
reedyoungSep 12, 2009
If they're less than 100% efficient, and they are certain by the laws of physics to be, then the electrical energy transmitted by wire must be less than the photon energy blocked by the same panels.
gemfinderSep 14, 2009
H'mm. I'm thinking like a radical.First concern: a well-coordinated terrorist strike on all of them, simultaneously, could knock out the world power grid in one day.Second concern: That's about 100 loci. How do we keep a worldwide solar power monopoly from happening and encourage competition?
Closed AccountSep 17, 2009
There are clay deserts ( see: the Lahontan lakebed aka "Black Rock City" ) and dirt deserts ( see: the Badlands ) and even deserts of just thin and nutrient-poor soil ( see: the Pine Barrens ).
Closed AccountSep 17, 2009
I was driving along the Columbia River along the border of Washington and Oregon and there were miles and miles of windmills. I guess those states are fully powered by wind power?
ckenatoSep 24, 2009
beats the heck out of coal pollution. How about if every new building had solar panels on the roof. How about every house have solar panels with a central area to sell off the energy not needed by that house?
carlinatorDec 9, 2009
Sure great idea, but where is the map that shows how much mining we would need to do to get all of the materials for all of those solar cells?
shorrobiJun 13, 2010
<a class="user" href="http://all-inclusive-family-vacations.blogspot.com/2008/06/learn-how-to-cruise-make-trip-perfect.html" rel="nofollow">http://all-inclusive-family-vacations.blogspot.com ...</a>Solar panels are getting cheaper.
maxz2040Mar 9, 2011
UN get on to this crap.