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To: DMaA who wrote (437626)	7/28/2011 12:25:22 PM
From: Elsewhere	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 793843

Is there anything on the horizon that might store megawatts of energy? Hydro power can already be used now - pump up the water when there's a surplus of power feeding and release it later. Flow batteries are promising and scale to MWh. en.wikipedia.org That's what you need make PV a replacement for Gas/Coal/Nuclear. I don't see it as an "all or nothing". PV can be a useful part of the renewable mix, together with wind and hydro. Every little bit helps. I don't consider myself to be a PV "missionary", the technology will pay for itself and find its natural way into the market. One can think of PV modules as "chips". Just as the same computing power becomes cheaper every year ("Moore's Law") the production costs of PV modules drop to lower and lower levels. Longevity is also not a problem any more. Yes, there is a decline in efficiency but there are vendors who offer a warranty for 25 years and 80% power level after the end of that period.

To: DMaA who wrote (437626)	7/28/2011 9:00:28 PM
From: Jacob Snyder	5 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793843

<anything on the horizon that might store megawatts of energy> Solar energy production peaks each day, at the same time electricity demand peaks: in mid-day and early afternoon. So a large increase from current levels in solar power can be used, without any storage. Solar thermal systems can store the hot liquid, to drive the turbines when needed. Pumping water uphill, between two reservoirs at different levels, is the most efficient current method. HVDC (high voltage direct current) lines can bring electricity from wherever the sun is shining, to wherever demand is. A lot of research money and talent is currently addressing the problem of storage, looking at improved batteries and other technologies. solar panel cost per watt of electricity produced: $60 in 1976 $6 in 1990 $3.50 in 2007 $2 in 2009 $1.30 (and still falling) today Extrapolate that trend into the future. Someday, solar energy will be "too cheap to meter", (what was promised about nuclear in the 1950s, but this time it'll be true).