In a previous thread Oneoff tried to prove mathematically that solar PV is not viable because of the amount of land required. According to the experts at the US Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Lab Oneoff is wrong.
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35097.pdf
If photovoltaics were a primary energy source, what would
the world look like? Would PV collectors cover every square
inch of available land? Contrary to popular opinion,
a world
relying on PV would offer a landscape almost indistinguishable
from the landscape we know today
.
The impact of PV on the landscape would be low for three
reasons. First, PV systems have siting advantages over other
technologies; for example, PV can be put on roofs. Second,
even ground-mounted PV collectors are efficient from the
perspective of land use. Third, adequate sunlight is ubiqui-
tous and present in predictable amounts almost everywhere.
As we move away from fossil-fuel energy, PV use will be
crucial because of its land-use advantages.
PV’s Low-Impact Siting for Flat-Plate Systems
In the United States, cities and residences cover about 140
million acres of land. We could supply every kilowatt-hour
of our nation’s current electricity requirements simply by
applying PV to
7% of this area—on roofs, on parking lots,
along highway
walls, on the sides of buildings, and in other
dual-use scenarios. We wouldn’t have to appropriate a single
acr
e of new land to make PV our primary energy source!
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35097.pdf
If photovoltaics were a primary energy source, what would
the world look like? Would PV collectors cover every square
inch of available land? Contrary to popular opinion,
a world
relying on PV would offer a landscape almost indistinguishable
from the landscape we know today
.
The impact of PV on the landscape would be low for three
reasons. First, PV systems have siting advantages over other
technologies; for example, PV can be put on roofs. Second,
even ground-mounted PV collectors are efficient from the
perspective of land use. Third, adequate sunlight is ubiqui-
tous and present in predictable amounts almost everywhere.
As we move away from fossil-fuel energy, PV use will be
crucial because of its land-use advantages.
PV’s Low-Impact Siting for Flat-Plate Systems
In the United States, cities and residences cover about 140
million acres of land. We could supply every kilowatt-hour
of our nation’s current electricity requirements simply by
applying PV to
7% of this area—on roofs, on parking lots,
along highway
walls, on the sides of buildings, and in other
dual-use scenarios. We wouldn’t have to appropriate a single
acr
e of new land to make PV our primary energy source!
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