Why is it not possible to use solar energy to manufacture solar cells? (Reply #47)

In the discussion thread: If Solar was subsidized like Fossil fuels [View all]

Mon Oct 27, 2014, 09:44 PM

immoderate (20,885 posts)

47. Why is it not possible to use solar energy to manufacture solar cells?

The jury is far from consensus on the best way to make solar cells, including minimizing waste materials. It's a technology in infancy. (Remember when car brakes were made of asbestos? And they wore out in 5000 miles? And they said that asbestos was irreplaceable?)

The entire energy appetite of the country could be satiated by a few hundred square miles of solar grid. Some countries, and a few states, already get a significant percentage of their power from renewables, and in some areas of the world, solar is the only electrical generator they will ever know, due to economics.

--imm

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79 replies	Author	Time	Post
If Solar was subsidized like Fossil fuels [View all]	packman	Oct 2014	OP
Rec.	truebluegreen	Oct 2014	#1
Bringing the oil and gas out of the ground is becoming more and more expensive.	JDPriestly	Oct 2014	#15
What if there was a movement to take subsidies given for	Cleita	Oct 2014	#2
This is what is needed. A major movement. It needs to be serious, more than petitions.	Maineman	Oct 2014	#72
There will never be a replacement for the fossil fuel consumption rate today.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#3
Maybe not in this country	packman	Oct 2014	#4
The production of solar cells is highly toxic. Taking a step back is no where close to achieving...	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#7
More toxic than fracking? Nuclear waste? Coal tailings?	immoderate	Oct 2014	#10
It's not a matter of how toxic it is. Manufacturing a lot of tech things is a toxic process.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#37
Why is it not possible to use solar energy to manufacture solar cells?	immoderate	Oct 2014	#47
So, if it can't be completed in YOUR lifetime ...	staggerleem	Oct 2014	#20
Welcome to DU.	antiquie	Oct 2014	#22
My life time has nothing to do with it.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#31
Thank goodness someone agrees with the fossil fuel industries	ProfessorPlum	Oct 2014	#59
Thanks for your intelligent rational input.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#68
And thank you, too ...	staggerleem	Oct 2014	#79
And, considering fossil fuels, including conventional crude oil, are finite resources...	ChisolmTrailDem	Oct 2014	#5
Can't say I am shocked by the lack of rational thinking about it. Coal will out last oil.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#28
That's really more encouraging than you think.	immoderate	Oct 2014	#49
IOW: We're doomed!	immoderate	Oct 2014	#6
Mocking reality is also doomed.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#8
Having a hard time understanding your position/comments	packman	Oct 2014	#9
You could start with basic physics. You can't get something from nothing...	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#39
I could be wrong....	daleanime	Oct 2014	#23
Okay, I'll play. Why not? And you can't say cost. We always have money for endless war. nt	valerief	Oct 2014	#12
You can't buy your way out of this.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#33
Off to Ignore for you!	valerief	Oct 2014	#46
Oh boy ...I'm on ignore. LMFAO	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#51
I take it you do not live in Southern California. We WILL replace fossil fuels with solar.	JDPriestly	Oct 2014	#14
Hwy 101 is what 10 lanes? Imagine all those cars and trucks using solar power. Can you? I can't.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#34
It's a matter of developing the technology. And we can do it.	JDPriestly	Oct 2014	#36
I've seen the solar car college projects and contests. I don't hold out any hope that they...	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#38
We don't grow much food for cattle or even hogs in Southern California.	JDPriestly	Oct 2014	#45
We can use solar energy to create hydrogen to power fuel cells.	immoderate	Oct 2014	#50
Precisely. The solar cars run on electricity that is from the solar panels.	JDPriestly	Oct 2014	#56
You seem to be totally ignorant of plug-in electric cars...	Thor_MN	Oct 2014	#61
Thanks for your rational explanation as to how we can replace the expanding usage of oil with solar.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#66
How will you expand the use of oil, when it runs out?	immoderate	Oct 2014	#74
Huh? You have nothing...	Thor_MN	Oct 2014	#75
exactly	bmac19gg	Oct 2014	#54
You mean electric cars using batteries?	Erich Bloodaxe BSN	Oct 2014	#76
It's also not possible to continue dumping CO2	pscot	Oct 2014	#21
You think people will stop using cars? Not a chance. China is accelerating car use as well.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#30
It won't be our call	pscot	Oct 2014	#44
Jacobson et. al. has a plan and would disagree	Agony	Oct 2014	#26
Ah ...so he has figured out how to stop people from using cars. Good for him.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#29
no he uses the EIA International Energy Outlook to calculate how to replace fossil fuels with WWS	Agony	Oct 2014	#40
Now on to forcing people away from their car addictions. Good luck.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#41
the stinking putrid air over Beijing is forcing people to analyze their addictions	Agony	Oct 2014	#42
...despite all the bicycle use too. It's not all from cars for sure. You'd think that...	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#43
Much as the social fabric dramatically changed during the market changes from horse to combustion en	LanternWaste	Oct 2014	#67
Wrong. Solar/electric vehicles are already cheaper!	grahamhgreen	Oct 2014	#53
says the extraction industry	ProfessorPlum	Oct 2014	#58
Your snark is touching. Got nothing else huh. Figures.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#65
Also, the COST OF WAR is another subsidy of oil. nt	valerief	Oct 2014	#11
yep - my guess is we won't have to go to war	rurallib	Oct 2014	#24
K&R. We have so much sun. Why aren't we using it?	JDPriestly	Oct 2014	#13
Next we will invade the Middle East to steal their sun.	Spitfire of ATJ	Oct 2014	#16
+1	Auggie	Oct 2014	#17
K&R	DeSwiss	Oct 2014	#18
It's a bit cheaper here in Connecticut	NewJeffCT	Oct 2014	#19
Fucking Reagan... If he hadn't stopped Carter's move towards solar	SomethingFishy	Oct 2014	#25
I agree but that would only have prolonged the inevitable and that was before China got on board.	L0oniX	Oct 2014	#32
says the extraction industry	ProfessorPlum	Oct 2014	#57
can you provide a link to the source?	DeadEyeDyck	Oct 2014	#27
With some googling, I think it sources back to treehugger.com originally	Electric Monk	Oct 2014	#35
Thanks for the reference	packman	Oct 2014	#71
thanks nt	DeadEyeDyck	Oct 2014	#78
k&r...	spanone	Oct 2014	#48
Oil is dead. Long live the sun!	grahamhgreen	Oct 2014	#52
The world economy is still based on fossil fuels.	Jenoch	Oct 2014	#55
Kicked and recommended!	Enthusiast	Oct 2014	#60
fyi--The Koch Attack on Solar Energy	RiverLover	Oct 2014	#62
per unit of energy produced, renewables get 25x subsidies	ctaylors6	Oct 2014	#63
Germany is opening 10.7 Gigawatts of new coal plants	Progressive dog	Oct 2014	#64
i installed solar at the begining of september	rdking647	Oct 2014	#69
kicl	samsingh	Oct 2014	#70
Ain't goin' nowhere if the Carlyle Group doesn't make a profit from it.	WinkyDink	Oct 2014	#73
90 billion not enough?	maced666	Oct 2014	#77

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