Calculate solar array size for electric car
I attended an energy symposium earlier this year and someone calculated that a solar cell would have to be larger than the state of Kansas to power America's electricity needs. Now there's a formula for determining how large a photovoltaic array should be to power an electric vehicle.
The sample situation comes in a post on EcoWorld and refers the reader to a pair of other pages for more involved calculations. From the example of someone commuting about 100 miles, it would cost $50,000 for the 500 square-foot array but you'd never buy gas again. Bottom line: the numbers seem to favor buying power from the local grid.
[Source: EcoWorld]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Alternative Energy Blog 1:22PM (9/04/2006)
"larger than the state of Kansas" argument assumes that solar is used to power all of America's electricity requirements (rather than just part of the mix) and is deceptive as solar cells are much more likely to be placed on existing locations e.g. house roofs, parking structures etc. rather than in one giant solar array. Solar is currently competitive for providing electricity to off-grid locations.
Why pick 100 miles? The average American drives 40 miles (in the UK it's less than 16 miles).
Based on current solar technology it does not make economic sense (without carbon charges and/or higher gasoline taxes) to buy solar panels for a daily commute. However with cost reductions/ a different regulatory environment/ greater efficiency this could change particularly for people who drive less than average.
James
Alternative Energy Blog
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Howard Lee Harkness 2:39PM (9/04/2006)
Both the "larger than Kansas" and the "500 sq ft for a 100-mile commute" numbers appear to be off significantly (although in opposite directions). A little back-of-the-envelope arithmetic will show that these two 'statistics' are wildly contradictory.
I really cringe when I see this sort of prima facie evidence of profound innumeracy. It's especially grating after some epsilon-minus accused me of using "funny math" to point out the stunningly obvious lack of economy in ethanol.
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Fred D 3:19PM (9/06/2006)
"Never buy gas again"?
Never buy gas for the life of the solar panels (10-20 years?)
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