Monday, September 28, 2009

Innovative solar cell designs

Fairly good article on new solar cell designs that allow them to blend in better with commercial and residential structures. This is generally a good thing and I am in favor of spreading out the power generating ability to lessen the reliance on a few large plants. Between these new roof / wall designs and the solar roadway panels and you have a potential large surface area to generate electricity that is dispersed over a greater area.

What is not discussed is what is the useful life of these products and what is the ROI?

In addition I am not in favor of government intervention via subsidies. They are distorting the market and suppressing the cost which skews the ROI and they are doing it with MY money. If the technology can not stand on its own and can not compete on its own, then it needs to do better in order to be viable. If it is so good, private organizations (like the Sierra Club) should be promoting it, not the government. It is not their job.

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