The sun is a star when it comes to sustainable energy

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/02/20_aaassolar.shtml

In order for plastic solar cells with 8% efficiency to supply U.S. electrical energy needs, a land area of 58 million acres (shown as eight green blocks) would have to be covered by solar farms. The orange square in the California desert, however, could supply the state's needs with 1% efficient solar cells, and the nation's needs with 6% efficient photovoltaics. (Alivisatos lab/UC Berkeley image)

The sun is a star when it comes to sustainable energy

By Robert Sanders, Media Relations | 20 February 2009

CHICAGO — At a national scientific meeting last week where biofuels – principally ethanol – were uniformly trashed as an environmental train wreck, one bright, carbon-free light gleamed in our energy future: the sun.

Numerous sessions on energy and climate change at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement in Science (AAAS), held Feb. 12-16 in downtown Chicago, were premised on the conviction that the world must drastically reduce its carbon output to stave off the worst consequences of global warming.

"The sun is absolutely a singular solution to our future energy needs," speaker Nathan Lewis, who researches synthetic photosynthesis at the California Institute of Technology, told an audience at the meeting. "Nothing else comes close. More energy from the sun hits Earth in one hour than all the energy consumed on our planet in an entire year."

While the sun's heat is already being harnessed to run steam engines – Southern California Edison last week committed itself to buying 3.4 megawatts of solar thermal power for Los Angeles customers – solar thermal and photovoltaics make up a paltry one-tenth of 1 percent of the nation's energy supply.

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[XemaSab]

1. I think the endangered species act would have something to say about that

n/t

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Yeah, I don't thnk it's a serious proposal to do that

I believe it's a demonstration of the potential of that area.

There have been suggestions that it would be necessary to cover vast areas with solar cells, but those are mostly made by people who oppose solar.

Serious proposals tend to point out that they could be placed on roofs throughout the country, or in "brownfields"/"brightfields."

Still it's important to note just how much solar potential there is in that region.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Exactly. Rooftops have an important role to play.

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

4. any estimates on the area of rooftops in the US?

or rooftops suitable for solar panels?

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. Here're some figures which are relevant, although not exactly what you're asking for

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/32529.pdf

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Myth #1

Solar electricity cannot contribute a significant fraction of the nation’s electricity needs.

Solar electric panels can meet electricity demand on any scale, from a single home to a large city. There is plenty of energy in the sunlight shining on all parts of our nation to generate the electricity we need. For example, with today’s commercial systems, the solar energy resource in a 100-by-100-mile area of Nevada could supply the United States with all of its electricity. If these systems were distributed to the 50 states, the land required from each state would be an area of about 17 by 17 miles. This area is available now from parking lots, rooftops, and vacant land. In fact, 90% of America’s current electricity needs could be supplied with solar electric systems built on the estimated 5 million acres of abandoned industrial sites in our nation’s cities.

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