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October 16, 2006

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Some of the highest plant growth in seen in pinus radiata tree growth
20-50m³/ha/yr = 14-35T/ha/yr = 1.4 -3.5 kg/m²/yr = 19 - 48MJ/m²/yr
(1 kg of Fuelwood = 13.8 Mj ) I oven dried tonne of wood = 16xlO9 joules
if solar = 300-700Watts for 6 hours/day/m² = 750-1,500 KwH = 2.7-5.5E3MJ/m²/yr
so efficiency ranges from 19*100/5.5E3 = 0.35% Low to 48*100/2.7E3 1.8%high
this doesnt include energy in cutting, drying, chipping, transporting

It would be helpful if g bruno would translate his post, above, into the English, so we could all understand what he is saying.

I may be wrong, but it seems that:

1) Wood from Pinus radiata trees could produce an average (gross) 33 MJ/M2/Yr. Net energy production may be much less or as little as 4 times less or about 8 MJ/M2/Yr.

2) High performance sun panels can produce an average of 4.1 MJ/M2/Yr

Why bother with trees using (good land + hard work + transformation pollution) when clean power could be provided with sun cells on about twice the (useless desert land) area.

Economical/practical large scale sun energy storage remains to be solved. Energy production diversity + time zones + decentralized storage could help.

The solar cells produce electricity, a very high quality of energy. It can be converted into either motion or heat with little loss. The energy of biomass is presumably based on the heat produced from oxidation. So not only do you have polluting combustion byproducts to worry about, but if you want to convert that heat to motion you will suffer the Carnot inefficiency of a heat engine. I am in agreement with Harvey D.

A bit more on topic, does anyone know what these panels cost? 22% isn't that big of a deal on top of a building if it costs 3 times as much as 11%... On top of a car might be a different story.

The new SPR-315 solar panel is planned for commercial availability in the Spring of 2007.

No pricing yet.

Just as long as you recognize that wood is storable energy and (on the relevant time scales) PV might as well not be, the two are not direct competitors.  But the efficiency argument is well-considered.

Kudos to Harvey D. for the excellent translation.

world's highest efficiency?
is that a freaking joke?

Spectrolab's cells(i.e. Mars rovers) are close to 40% efficiency and available NOW

Spectrolab produces solar cells of very high efficiency, but they are very expensive and I don't think they produce flat panels for intended for household use. I think they have produced a solar concentrator, but that's quite different from a flat panel.

World's highest efficiency for polycrystalline silicon cells, if you actually care about the distinction.

Dear sr.

I'm a reporter at the "Calcalist" newspaper in Israel, the new economic section of "Yedioth Acharonot", which us the largest newspaper in Israel.

Lately I've started to work on an item about the issue of ecologic construction, or in another words – who to build a "green house". For this item I would like to use photos from your's lovely site – if you'll give your permeation.

galith-s@yedioth.co.ilyou can reach me in the e-mail address

Or in my cellular phone: 972-52-4004029

Thank you very much

Galit Shafir


DOES SUNPOWER PROVIDE A MORE PORTABLE PANEL OR SOLAR SYSTEM THAT WOULD FIT THE RV MOTORHOME MARKET? CAN A PERSON BUY PANELS ALONE FROM THEM WITH AN EFF. RATING OF 40%? DOES SUNPOWER HAVE A SPECIALIZED CONTROLLER AND INVERTER THAT MATCHES THE PANEL SPECIFICATIONS? IF SO, THEN CAN ONE BUY A SOLAR SYSTEM FOR AN RV AT 150 TO 250 WATTS POWERING A 3000+W INVERTER?

BOB

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