Ad Calls US "The Saudi Arabia Of Solar" (VIDEO)

treehugger.com:

The ad, titled "Solar," explains how harnessing the power of the sun -- as the American West is "the Saudi Arabia of solar power" -- can both drive the national movement away from dirty fossil fuels and create good-paying jobs that cannot be shipped overseas. The script of the commercial relies on studies showing that the resource potential of solar energy is so vast that a parcel of land in the Southwest, 96 miles on a side, could power America's entire electricity system. Says WE:

Before a joint session of Congress last week, President Obama expressed strong support for growing our economy by repowering America, calling for American leadership and innovation in clean energy technologies and for a national energy policy that shifts emphasis away from the dirty fuels of the 20th century.

Read the whole story: treehugger.com

Comments

[Kubrat]

Solar clearly (and cleanly :-) ) has the potential to replace at least the most critical levels/branches of old technology energy sources. If we take just the most poisonous of the old technology to make electricity - burn oil and coal and look at the solar capacity, cost and land area needed we will see that it does not look that impossible to be done practically.
To replace for example the electricity generation in the US for which oil products are used we need about only 56 GW of solar power. This may cost anywhere between $300 - $500b (just compare to the stimulus package :-) ) the land area needed is a small spot (20x20 sq. miles) in one of our empty deserts.
Additional benefits: job creation, really stimul-ing the economy, saving the health of our children.
Look at the need of solar capacity, cost and land area requirements in this analysis from http://SolarByTheWatt.com
http://SolarBytTeWatt.com/2009/03/05/can-solar-replace-fossil-fuels/
People should just look at these simple numbers and think how much money are being put in helping poisonous coal and oil industries exist.
To replace all possible current energy generation is a huge and impossible task for the near future - but why not start with the possible and most critical levels?

[southwindow]

The math has been there for a while.
At current efficiency rates, an area the size of texas covered in solar panels would be enough to power the entire world. look it up. they are just a little expensive, and that many would be very expensive, but that is all.

[Jimmyboyo]

and if we utilized conservation and energy saving means in our everyday lives it wouldn't have to be the size of texas to supply the whole world.

[katekid]

America's entire electricity system?
Sounds great but where's the math on this one?
Is it solar voltaic and/or steam turbines?

[Jimmyboyo]

the specific form in the commercial are reflective mirrors reflecting the heat onto the middle tube and heating (probably a saline solution) and via heat collection and transference driving steam engines .

[katekid]

thx

[pokemon]

They want us to still rely on the system, when they should be making it easier for everyone to generate their own power:

Example I bought a multi-fuel engine which can burn just about anything up to and including waste motor oil and wood gas (100%) cleanly by adding an HHO generator for a catalyst. On days I am not using it this can be used as a generator to pump power into the grid to offset my use and generate income. Not perfect but better then a landfill.

[Keith52]

Love this! It makes the idea of solar power / alternative energy more accessible and realistic. I don't think most people know how easy it would be with a little effort.

[KillTheMessenger]

We know how to do this kind of stuff for a while now. The problem is the cost. People are not willing to trade emissions and ecological impact for the price of energy.

[Exusian]

Exactly KTM. This plant in Spain went on line last year:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6616651.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_Spain

[sloreader]

Transferring energy is inefficient by nature and dependency on the grid has no appeal on so many levels. You are on the right track with this one.

[KillTheMessenger]

Electrical energy can be transferred very efficiently. That's not where the main source of efficiency lies. It's the heat co-generation that can be used for heating that counts. I doubt that pokemon's machine for anything less than a medium farm sized entity is a solution that passes the laugh test, but at least he is onto something that works very well when done on the right scale.