Quote:
Originally Posted by euromodder
Next you need to factor in the production of PV panels - which is consuming a lot of energy in a potentially dangerous process.
With the cheapest PV panels coming from China, you simply don't know how they were produced, and what the environmental damages are.
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Sure we can factor in the energy needed to produce the PV panel ... just like we can factor in the energy needed for everything else the plant needs to do , that is not photosynthesis ... growing roots costs energy , making seeds costs energy, making fruit costs energy, making the leaves costs energy, etc.
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No matter how you slice it ... I don't see how the fossil fuel path ( like oil ) is anything but VASTLY less efficient.
My dislike is not about $ Cost ... it is currently comparatively cheap ... that's one big reason why we still do it ... my dislike is about the HORRIBLY low efficiency ... and that will lead to it being not viable , eventually ... unless humans just stop growing our energy usage far bellow the rate of production ( at the crazy low efficiency ).
In regards to the Chinese production ... I don't know lots of things ... not knowing does not = automatically bad ... but lack of information is not a reason to change my mind from what information I do have ... if someone has convincing evidence that the RE ( PV or others ) are less efficient from source ( solar ) to load ( useful work ) ... by all means enlighten me ... Because I just see the oil ( and other fossil fuels ) as horribly low efficient and wasteful source to load.