Two simultaneously released a report last week by the International Energy Agency (IEA) report that by 2050, solar energy can bypass the fossil fuel, hydro, and wind and nuclear energy as the most widely used source of power generation in the world.
2014 has been the start of consumers and utilities alike understanding the positive impact solar can make. GTM Research expects about 6.5 GW of solar energy to be installed in the U.S. in 2014, enough to power nearly 1.1 million homes.
It's possible that 2015 will be the first year in which over half of new electricity generation capacity in the U.S. will come from solar.
Carl Rimmer
A solar panel system to provide 90% of the electricity for my house cost about $100,000 . Plus I would have to cut down some trees so the sun can get to my roof not to mention how unsightly they are. My electric bill runs about 200 a month on average or 2400 a year. So it would take 40 years to break even and some panels and components will fail before 40 years.
kimgerly
Why isn't conservation, changing consumer behavior to use less energy ever included in reads like this? Technology is not a panacea.
What I find troubling is some of the least willing to make fundamental changes in their own consumption of fossil fuels, more often than not, end up being the most vocal and biased towards CONG (coal oil nuclear natural gas). Unless, and until those who complain most loudly actually take personal responsibility to do something about their own contributions to pollution and consumption, to me, it’s all just a lot of hot air. And so it goes…
…the majority of (wo)men want it all, and has hubris that I find utterly confounding—expecting Mother Nature to acquiesce to certain quality of life expectations we humans have been accustomed without having to make sacrifices, or make changes in their consumption behavior. Water and power are taken for granted, since they are considered entitlements, basic human rights. Any heavily regulated company providing these services are despised when they don’t measure up to a certain entitlement expectation.
What is interesting is how some service roles are glorified (firefighters) and the ones we can’t live without (power linesmen) are ignored and taken for granted–that is, until the power goes out. And so, customers become angry, because their quality of life expectations have been compromised. This is one area where the examination needs to occur, so this shift can evolve in a more pragmatic and prudent direction. Perhaps the author can investigate this aspect at a future date?
And this pronouncement is coming from a renewable energy engineer...
