Is Solar Energy really feasible in future both technologically and economically?

Question

There's been brouhaha over Renewable energy now a days that rides on top of depleting fossil fuel and climate change. What is the likelihood of Solar energy becoming a proven reality where every other country with average solar insolation producing at least 25% of energy needs from Solar?

Answer 1

It's technically feasible already and it's close to economic in very sunny areas.



The problem right now is cost, but that is going to fall. Then we hit another problem; and that is that the current cheapest technologies rely on rare materials. Thin film cells rely on indium, gallium or tellurium, and dye sensitized cells rely on ruthenium (although only in tiny amounts, I calculate the USGS' estimated producible Te to be equivalent to about 17GW/year of solar power. Add in the Ru, In, Ga and you're looking at about 50GW/yr. Not enough!).



Fortunately, we're working on new cells; dyes that use porphyrin or other materials which only use common metals like copper (though they still need iodine for the electrolyte). Organic cells, and thin-film tech that uses copper-tin-zinc-sulphur.



As soon as these techs work, we have enough resources and they should continue to fall in price. At a guess, I'm going to say cells will hit grid parity in California before 2020. In northern Europe it'll probably be around 2030.



By then solar power will start exploding, and I think 25% by the end of the century is perfectly reasonable once you include smart grid tech and energy storage.

Answer 2

Solar energy is the future, the present and the past. Fossil fuels are just solar energy collected by ancient plants, that's why it's "fossil" fuel. As to investing in solar panels. Current commercial photovoltaic cells are about 15% efficient, the current record is 42.8% and 65% cells are on the drawing board. Investing in solar panels now would be like investing in the current low interest bonds, you're better off just waiting a few years and then investing. There's no doubt that you would save some money but you would save a lot more if you just waited for the new technology. Of course, government subsidies could sway the equation.

Answer 3

Most of the energy we use today (except nuclear, geothermal, and perhaps tidal) ultimately came from the sun. We know that every time energy is transferred from one form to another something is lost due to inefficiency. Therefore it should be more efficient to gather energy directly from the sun.



Primarily this depends upon how the energy is concentrated and preserved. Oil, coal, and gas are chemical storage of solar energy that came to Earth long ago. The current sunlight that falls to Earth in a day would more than satisfy our energy needs for a year. The potential is there.



Gathering solar thermal energy is more efficient than gathering the light from the sun and turning it into electricity. There are at least 5 different concepts with power plants that have been build.



One of the current problems is the price we currently pay for electricity may not reflect the true cost of our energy. We currently pay for pollution in early deaths and health care instead of as cleaner energy.

Answer 4

We will see much more solar energy use in the future for sure. The need right now just isn't urgent enough to get businesses to start shelling out money to invest in making cheaper solar panels that could be sold to the general public. But as renewable energy needs become even more present than they are now, solar energy will become more and more widely used and produced. Off shore wind farms are going to be a big source in the future as well.

Answer 5

To get to a point where solar and wind is practical would require that the federal government makes it happen. The 'market', being that it's a captive of firmly entrenched oil and coal corporate interests is totally committed to being the top energy producers until the last drop of oil is used and the last chunk of coal is burned. Because of the death grip these industries have on 'our' government moving on to 21st century power generation is going to be a slow uphill battle. If all subsidies and tax breaks were withdrawn from oil and coal production and the results of their pollution were made a part of their expenses these entities would finally be on a level playing field with solar and wind. Even at that the solar and wind industries are engaged in making their industries centralized so as to be able to charge customers fees the same way that the current power companies do. That's as bogus as the oil and coal mafias. The federal government could take responsibility for the Untied States power grid and encourage decentralized power production. Every building should create as much of it's own power as possible. This would take new building codes. In 1900 cities began to insist that all dwellings and commercial buildings have electricity, running water and inside sanitary facilities. In the 21st century those codes could also demand solar electrical generation. The future is with electric transportation...that will require decentralized automotive charging if we're to ever move away from oil as the main fuel for keeping the wheels on the road. Solar and wind are the future of keeping the lights on...but only if we make an effort to phase out coal. Call it 'socialism' if you want, but the upside of government mandates to move on to solar and wind is what it will take to bring that change about. At this point 'government' stands firmly on the side of the 19th century technologies of oil and and coal. That has to change!

Answer 6

We use energy 24 hours a day. The sun has peak energy for 4 hours a day assuming the sun shines. 4/24 is not 25%.

Look at it another way. The most possible to get out of solar is 75 watts per square foot. The average home uses about 40 KWH per day. To power a home your going to need at least 150 foot of area. At today's efficiency about 1500 square feet of area assuming the sun shines every day. With the cost of land it won't happen.

Answer 7

There's no technological obstacle and indeed even fossil fuels is indeed solar energy which had been collected by photosynthesis millions of years ago and concentrated by geologic forces. Economic obstacles are really a matter of how to profit on an ongoing basis from it. True there's money to be made from the sale, installation and maintenance of solar panels but companies would much rather bill you on a monthly basis with the ability to shut off your power if you don't pay. Ultimately, the raw material for photovoltaics is literally as cheap as sand.

Answer 8

Yes Solar energy is very reliable source of energy not only in the future but even in this present day. One problem though is there is no real effort from the governments(especially from the first world countries) to really push for the development/enhancements of new and existing equipments that would make the use of solar power economically dependable. Technology for solar energy conversions to useful energy forms are already existing. What we need is a government program to seriously consider it's use and advantages and make this gadgets affordable to populace.

Answer 9

Solar energy is already technologically feasible, although we can expect it to become more so in the future.



In some instances solar energy already makes sense economically--for instance, in providing power in remote places. As fossil fuels become more expensive (due to less supply) and they start to pay their full costs (through schemes such as cap and trade), solar energy will become more economically viable.



We can also expect solar energy costs to decrease as more photvoltaic cells are produced and technology improves.

Answer 10

the people that put down renewable energy are just trying to keep fossil fuels. Hopefully, eventually we will switch to electric/solar/wind power but oil companies have alot of money and pay to keep this stuff down. FYI I'm not even that liberal. I'm a republican from texas, I just happen to be smart and educated.

Answer 11

Solar energy is feasible long back.

Real efforts are required from govt. & private to initiate projects on this area.

Developing countries should try this on first hand to increase power supply to remote village and to fulfill power requirements for cities in future. Investment on this area will improve their economy largely in future.

Developed countries (with oil base) on other hand are going to divert everyone from doing so.

But the day will come, has to come for the better future of everybody, especially with issues like global warming, green house effect, glaciers melting down, sea rise increase, increase in the list of endangered species & such things on top of the list.

Answer 12

I think so but it will take a great area, I think they should put a giant solar collector in space and run a electrical wire down to earth

Answer 13

Guide To Solar Power - http://SolarPower.duebq.com/?PwG

Answer 14

1

Answer 15

Depends how much more pollution and GHGs you wish to produce by promoting this dirty wasteful technology.