Replies to post #4265 on Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[mainehiker]

for all and zeev also on solar pv...hasnt efficency of
pvs increased? and if there WAS TRUE
mass production of pv's the raw cost of that infrastructure would drop.
One of my favorite story stocks, energy conversion devices, already has rolled roofing flexible pv's and just completed largest output pv builder, 25 megawatts a year, still small, but a leap forward. If we devoted the money/research into solar/energy storage we'd be much further along in that area....how far would the "already cost" of the iraq war have gone in that regard?
ZEEV...whats your thoughts on energy conversions hydride storage system and do you think Texaco is serious in there efforts behind it (have you followed this)
ener also supposedly has pem fuel technology that does not need use platinum/palladium.

[Zeev Hed]

The efficiency of solar cells is in the 10% range. Yes, one could use these, but right now, the cost per installed megawatt is still about 4 to 10 times that of fossil powered electrical plants. yes, there are technologies that can reduce that cost (low cost solar concentrators, see US Patent #5,727,108, they reduce greatly to amount of silicon and increase the conversion efficiency and should, in principle bring the cost to only a 50% to a factor of 2 premium on fossil fuel plants), but I am having great difficulties finding interested parties to exploit the technology.

Zeev