Why is Canada so solar power inept ?

[temperance]

I hear of Sweden and other countries who have whole goverment building and communites living with solar power at all diffrent level ,,why do I hear we in Canada are only just going into research ,
I want my tax money going to the power(the actual structure ) not some marketing ding bat -spends 250 million to tell us" yeah its a goold idea "--we know that or do we ?


-I dont need a study to show me it works I need action ,
I asked 30 women in a group I belong to what they thought solar power was and did they realize that many countries, the goverment intitates the use of solar, the answers were embarrssasing to say the least --lol

I cant bring myself to correct them I just sent them a link to read ,I was so upset

I guess the need(gov) to get research how the can make money off something free be fore we see implemetation ,,I have partial solar use now ,but Im few and far between in my area

Please share some postive news on this front ?

 

[RomSpaceKnight]

We still take non-renewable resources for granted here. With the some of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world we can "afford" to be wasteful. The quotes denote sarcasm. Same with fresh water. If we were to apply European environmental standards here we would be the darlings of the Green movement. But until necessity forces us to we will only dance around the subject.

 

[jjaycee98]

Some of it sounds so simple

and the ideas have been floating around for years.

I read an article (at least 20 years ago) of how a filliment the size of a hair can be worked into or on to almost any surface to collect solar energy. This article said working it into roofing materials (of course), the roofs of vehicles, city benches, the "solar" blankets for pools, and even clothing were possibilities.

This may have been purely a pipe dream of someone but it has the feel of something that could be reality,:clock: if the will was there to make it happen.

 

[temperance]

I see it as the oil ,big bussiness has surpessed this, they want there share and want to firgure how the can make money off something free ,the power before the will invest ,we are being bullied ,overmedicated ,lulled into submission ,

 

[vinod1975]

I am so sorry , but why there so much pain and frustration in words....


All Respect , no offence

 

[L Gilbert]

Pretty much. Canada is a big producer of fossil fuels so it's a matter of attitude. Have to get the complacent sheeple interested in alternatives.

 

[L Gilbert]

I am so sorry , but why there so much pain and frustration in words....


All Respect , no offence

Frustration of people that are concerned. Too many people are apathetic.

 

[vinod1975]

Agreed ......:wave:

 

[vinod1975]

it freez also

 

[Shania]

Agreed - Canada is 15 years behind Europe re: solar

I recently read a press release about Sunpark in Guelph, Ontario.

The founder was quoted as saying "I was just tired of hearing about money being spent on solar energy studies and no real action taking place. We don't need any more studies - the technology has been used elsewhere in the world for decades. I'm calling on the corporate community to help us put this technology to use in Canada".

You can check out all the details at www.sunpark.ca It looks like a great initiative, and may even put Canada on the map as far as solar power goes!

 

[I think not]

Europeans use solar power moreso than North Americans because their energy prices are typically 4 times higher than ours.

Solar power panels are still very expensive. I looked into it just this past week again, after giving up 6 months ago.

An average home would need 6 Kilo-watts of solar panels at a cost of about $60,000 (US). Between state and federal incentives, it will come down to about $25,000 (US). The 6 KW is enough for about 50% of average annual demand. In essence you will save about $1050 (US) a year.

Do the math, it's not economically attractive, when you know it wil take the full warranty of the solar panels (25 years), and then some to get your original investment back!

 

[hermanntrude]

solar power is very inefficient and also a high initial cost. BUT despite that, once you've had solar panels for a while they pay for themselves.

Good news is that with the help of nanotechnology (a field in which canada is just starting to flourish) the solar panels can become much more efficient. I know there is a possibility that one day we may have transparent solar panels... we could use them as windows....

 

[I think not]

Change all your light bulbs and appliances in the house with ENERGY STAR and you will save alot more than solar power and a fraction of the investment.

Solar Power is still too expensive for residnetial use, in ten years it may change.

 

[MikeyDB]

Sure ITN is absolutely right.

And it will remain cheaper to burn fuel than it is to adopt alternate energy sources as long as the price of oil gurantees investors a handsome profit...

Luckily the planet has its own means to eradicate so perverse and self-destructive species...

 

[hermanntrude]

fusion is on its way. don't you fret.

 

[karrie]

solar power is very inefficient and also a high initial cost. BUT despite that, once you've had solar panels for a while they pay for themselves.

Good news is that with the help of nanotechnology (a field in which canada is just starting to flourish) the solar panels can become much more efficient. I know there is a possibility that one day we may have transparent solar panels... we could use them as windows....

I saw a neat program about the possibilities behind quantum dot technology a while ago, but I haven't heard anything more recent. They were discussing the possibility of using it to actually coat household appliances, so that there is no need for power cords. Wireless microwaves... what a crazy idea. They were even saying there would be the possibility for an appliance near a window, to transmit that power to an appliance in the shade. How cool would that be? Technology is such a wonderful thing.... thank the powers that be that those wonderful nanotechnology researchers are out there making the seemingly impossible happen.

 

[I think not]

Sure ITN is absolutely right.

And it will remain cheaper to burn fuel than it is to adopt alternate energy sources as long as the price of oil gurantees investors a handsome profit...

Luckily the planet has its own means to eradicate so perverse and self-destructive species...

When you first got here MikeyDB, I was under the impression you had the capability of processing information and throwing away the excess PC crap.

Boy did you ever prove me wrong, it's obvious your daft.

The poor folk you so vehemently defend all the time cannot afford a solar power solution for their homes. Period.

They will think of money first (how to survive) and become eco-frinedly when they can afford it.

The technology hasn't advanced enough to make solar power affordable to everyone, despite government subsidies that range between 40% qand 70%.

You don't get your money back, not for decades.

You can piss in the wind all you like and pass judgment behind your monitor, but you're not changing the facts.

 

[#juan]

In a perfect world, solar energy would be great. On the earth's surface, the available energy is about 1000 watts per square meter. That is an impressive number but many things conspire to cut that figure down. Photovoltaic cells are at the most, 30 percent efficient, so we could only expect to get something around 300 watts per square meter with the photovoltaic cells directly, or nearly directly facing the sun. During a good part of the day, we would get a good deal less than 300 watts per square meter because the sunlight is hitting the solar cell a a less than perfect angle. We would need this energy the most during the winter. Vancouver is cloudy for months on end during the Winter so our solar energy expectations would be a lot less when we need it most. A lot of work is being done in this field, but as you can see, solar power, in a practical sense, is not the Utopian dream some think it is.

 

[AndyF]

temperance:

Canadian electrical energy concerns is a sham. However, if any country sold the greater portion of their energy production to another country, wanted to keep that commitment up, and at the same time convey the idea that the citizens are wasting and should conserve, for the reason of having more to sell, then this exact misinformation would be spread around the nation scaring half the citizens.

Canada with it's combined electrical power obtained from the Manic sites, and those produced in BC, plus Ontario's and Manitoba's contribution, makes adequate electricity to meet Canadian's demands, plus some to spare. Canada may have a distribution problem caught up with political wheeling and dealing between provinces, and hampered by it's commitment with the US, but it definitely does not have an electrical energy shortage.

The issue is really that the Government wants more to sell to our southern faithful buddies, so it brainwashes people like yourself into giving up your portion of the generator's output, and making you to go out to hunt down other energy alternatives.

Incidently, while I'm on the same subject. The more a generator's output is being used up to it's max capability, but not exceeding it the more efficient the generator and it's output is being used. So there is no such thing as "saving" energy at the generator. What KW is not being used is dissipated as heat. Only if it were possible to have these hundreds of thousands of capacitor storage facilities or battery systems is it possible to save the energy at source to be dispensed later, and so far at least not in this century and it's technology would the practicality and cost be warranted to do so.

AndyF

 

[#juan]

I agree with most of what you say Andy, but the topic was solar heating and how inept Canada is in that field. Solar power is not a great idea everywhere. Solar power is very expensive and quite likely, for the money, maybe a passive approach would be better. eg. better insulation, and wasting less energy.