Economics of Photoelectricity - August Update

Economics of Photoelectricity - August 2012

No Contest

4 m2 of efficient PV cells generates the same power as ethanol from 1 hectare of switchgrass

Run US into the Sky

We're installing more PV than ever and it takes more people than ever to install the PV. PV is growing like gang busters but many seem stuck on the busts. It's like that scene at the end of Moneyball where the guy hits the home run 50 feet over the wall but embarrasses himself because all he can think about is second base.

Both sides of the political aisle are clueless on this one. Wake up Republicans. Wake up Democrats. The failure of Abound,  Solyndra, Q-cells, Solon et al. are small fry issues in the big scheme of things. The world will install another 30 to 40 GW of PV in 2012 - that's progress. Focus on the way forward.

Dear Government,

Please be leaders and stop running the country into the ground with verbose donothingness. Run US into the sky.

Reloading Solar

Here's a load graph of California under standard conditions.

Here's a hypothetical load graph of California with 6 GW of solar in the grid.

Here's a hypothetical load graph of California with 12 GW of solar in the grid.

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Here's a hypothetical load graph of California with 18 GW of solar in the grid.

Here's a hypothetical load graph of California with 24 GW of solar in the grid.

Here's a hypothetical load graph of California with 30 GW of solar in the grid.

This is how I imagine load shifting. Can you see it?

Lust for Life

I'm a fan of Iggy. Loved him in Dead Man. It's clear to me Anthony Kiedis has lifted many of Iggy's moves but amazingly neither the Wikipedia page for the Red Hot Chili Peppers or the Anthony Kiedis page mention Iggy. How can that be? Seriously... Really... Herhum herumph...

I've just now noticed a striking chicken fetish spun into the lyrics of Iggy and Eddie Money. Iggy wants to hypnotize them and Eddie Money wants to paralyze them...  What the fuck is going on with all the chicken experiments?

One time Eddie Money and I sat next to each other on a plane ride. True story... That was an interesting conversation. Apparently his wife has the ass of a 15 year old Vietnamese boy. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. My favorite Eddie Money quote... "Yeah, I'd read a book on coal."

Conto Energia V

Fifth Italian Conto Energia for Photovoltaic Plants Signed

100 Years Later

Operational Siemens AG 170 kW hydropower generator built
and installed in 1912

The Future Role of Fossil Power Generation