[ExI] pentagon wants orbiting solar power stations

[BillK]

On 10/13/07, Eugen Leitl wrote:
<snip>
> I'm not dissing solar satellites. Far from it. But that's not how
> you get away from burning dead dinos. Small and cheap and DIY is
> the ticket.
>

Article in today's Times newspaper:
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2648540.ece>

Saving energy at home could take 200 years to repay its cost.

The Energy Performance Certificates which are now required with all
Home Information Packs for houses with three or more bedrooms list
eight measures to secure a high rating of A or B against a poor rating
of F or G.

But the study from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors shows
that some of the measures, such as solar panels to heat water, would
cost £5,000 to install but reduce average bills by only £24 a year and
would take about 208 years to pay back.
-----------------

The RICS Excel spreadsheet is here:
<http://www.building.co.uk/Journals/Builder_Group/Building/2007_issue_41/attachments/BCIS%20Research%20on%20Payback%20Times%20for%20EPCs.xls>

-------------------

Some of the comments on the article say that their cost figures seem
high. I suspect this is because they have assumed professional
installation not DIY.

Cavity wall insulation seems to be the only worthwhile enhancement to
pay contractors to install.  If you are fit, then DIY loft insulation
is also worth doing.

Legislation in the UK stops DIY work on gas and electrical installations.

So solar power has to have a substantial cost reduction before it
becomes practical. I keep reading articles predicting cost
breakthroughs in solar cells, so hopefully price reductions will be
coming soon.

BillK