Comments on: SkyFuel heats up solar thermal power race

Concentrating solar power is one of the most cost-effective ways to produce electricity from the sun. Can a cheaper design break into the pack of solar thermal upstarts?

[RBojji]

The invention of Gravity Power Towers ( http://gravitypoweredtransport.blogspot.com) can reduce the solar energy cost to the user to 1/3rd , that is only 5 cents per kwh ! So it is time that the solar and wind power promoters think of achieving synergy using the gravity Power Towers in transportation. The impact is tremendous. Practically 8m barrel of oil per day can be saved in USA with this arrangement! It is a massive contribution and gravity Power is eternal as solar power is! Click on Newton's image at www.atrilab.com for full presentation, please.

[Seaspray0]

Yes, I looked. Gravity Power Towers is nothing more than recouping the kinetic energy of a decelerating object. I've seen better plans for perpetual motion machines than this garbage.

[mvisconte]

I believe you, and I will give you 60 Bazillion dollars for your perpetual energy machine. Can you put it in a suitcase and mail it to me? Your money will be returned in the same suitcase.

Yes, this guy's "Gravity Tower Power" is a load of crap. Heck *I* can make a patent application for anything too. Hey, how about a fantastic solvent made up of simple natural (organic?) chemicals... it dissolves many compounds "naturally", and is eco-friendly. Even tho' it's made of highly explosive and volitile compound, it's safe to store and is so safe that if it does get on you, it doesn't burn. Special care MUST be taken to keep humans from a supersaturated atmosphere, as it could displace the air in your lungs, and in high enough density, it could lead to asphixiation. It transports well, and does not require any special handling other than the above-mentioned cautions.

It's hydrogen hidroxide.

I am willing to sell my formula to anyone who would like to develop it, and I would only charge maybe 3 millions of dollars. A steal, I am sure.

Please contact me for an address to send the money to...

[expatincebu]

Solar and Wind power are actually cheaper than oil and coal. People never factor in the the social cost of coal and oil. The huge government subsidies, the huge military expenditures, the environmental damage, and the medical cost or treating illness created by the pollution.

[mlamonica]

Another way to attach a price to fossil fuel pollution is through a carbon tax or carbon cap-and-trade system. Obviously, these regulations are supposed to make coal and natural gas power plants more expensive to operate. The first cap and trade system in the U.S. just started in the Northeast. Many people expect a federal system will be phased in over the next five years or so.

[lesliejs]

great comment expat.

I remember a company discussed on CNET called Sunrgi http://www.sunrgi.com/
I think one of their biggest advantages is that their solar setup is upgradeable, and uses fewer solar cells, reducing the costs. I remember seeing a cost comparison that showed that sunrgi's production of electricity, would cost about the same per kwh as current fossil fuels initially, then around $0.05/kwh eventually. But like expatincebu commented, reduced major subsidies by govt and military would reduce the overall financial impact.
Fact of the matter is that, the govt will still have to provide some subsidies to households/businesses to adopt such technological changes.

Any technology change in energy production must be upgradeable.
It must have lower maintenance costs.
It must be able to pay for itself over a reasonable amount of time, considering current solar panels may have to be replaced before the time that they could pay for themselves with savings.
Portability, durability, and costs have to improve too.

Also someone has to find a way to address the new trend of thefts of solar panels from homes and find a solution.

[Penguinisto]

Ditto what Seaspray0 said ab't the gravity thingy... Newton always gets his Vig, so unless you have a somewhat constant and continuous source of kinetic energy that doesn't require you to spend any in creating it (see also hydroelectric power), you're not going to be able to harness gravity in meaningful quantities.

Personally, photovoltaic solar cells are rising in efficiency up to 30% conversion nowadays (the typical standard is 18% for most cell types, but this is about to change), which is getting very competitive with wind energy. Cost per kWh should start dropping to a quantity meaningful enough to realize shorter ROI figures, at least on an industrial scale (no numbers available offhand here @ home, but nearly double the conversion should drop the $/kWh figure by about 30-45%)

PS: Solar power is not eternal... the Sun will burn out eventually, though it'll take a few billion years before that happens. :)

/P