Scientific American: Large Solar Arrays Could Supply 69% of US Electricity Use

[garybeck]

A Solar Grand Plan

Scientific American
January 2008


By 2050 solar power could end U.S. dependence on foreign oil and slash greenhouse gas emissions.

Key Concepts

* A massive switch from coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power plants to solar power plants could supply 69 percent of the U.S.’s electricity and 35 percent of its total energy by 2050.

* A vast area of photovoltaic cells would have to be erected in the Southwest. Excess daytime energy would be stored as compressed air in underground caverns to be tapped during nighttime hours. Large solar concentrator power plants would be built as well.

* A new direct-current power transmission backbone would deliver solar electricity across the country.

* But $420 billion in subsidies from 2011 to 2050 would be required to fund the infrastructure and make it cost-competitive.

(note, $420 billion sounds like a lot of money but it's less than we've already spent in 5 years in Iraq and it would be spread over a 40 year period)

more:
http://solarbus-globalwarming.blogspot.com/2008/01/report-solar-energy-could-end.html

[Warpy]

1. We've already got one of those in progress in NM

where arable land is rare and sunshine abundant.

Eventually, every rooftop in the country should be covered in thin film solar panels, as I'm sure they will be as roofs need to be replaced and the cost of the panels comes down.

[One_Life_To_Give]

2. Compressed Air?

Seems that would have alot of inefficiency due to heating under compression.

[garybeck]

3. have to read the article, but

I believe hydrogen is a more efficient way to store and distribute PV energy.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. Read more about CAES here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_air_energy_storage
http://www.wapa.gov/es/pubs/ESB/2003/03Aug/esb084.htm

This is not a new idea:
http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=6330162
http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=5870714

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. This has actually been posted before

The discussion may be of interest:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=127595&mesg_id=127595



Last Friday's "Science Friday" had a segment related to this:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200803141