http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/ Engadget Comments for San Francisco could offer credits, rebates to promote solar panel usage http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Dec 13th 2007 8:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Dec 13th 2007 9:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Dec 13th 2007 11:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Dec 13th 2007 8:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Dec 13th 2007 10:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Dec 13th 2007 10:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Dec 13th 2007 12:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Dec 13th 2007 4:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Dec 13th 2007 4:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Dec 13th 2007 5:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/]]>Dec 13th 2007 11:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/
It really is surprising that more people aren't solidly and perennially skeptical of governmental 'solutions' to problems.]]>Dec 13th 2007 1:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/I've lived in the foggy part of the city for 22 years, and while it is foggy on many days in July and August, it is not dark so solar panels will still generate electricity.

Oh, and today is a super clear bright sunny day (as it has been all week).]]>Dec 13th 2007 4:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/
Next stop, the top of Jay Leno's garage...]]>Dec 13th 2007 5:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.austinenergy.com/Energy%20Efficiency/Programs/Rebates/Solar%20Rebates/index.htm]]>Dec 13th 2007 11:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/Unless perfectly sited (no shade, angled properly, or using mechanical tracking), the arrays will NEVER EVER produce enough electricity to offset the energy used to construct them.
As long as the prevailing PV technology is Polycrystalline Silicon, this will be the case.
For the money they are giving users, you could go out and buy AA alkaline batteries, and "generate" as much energy as these arrays will make.
Think about it, why do the arrays cost so much?
Have you ever seen these things being made?
I have. Electric arc furnaces. Crazy energy-consuming feedstocks prior to that.
This is not the answer you're looking for.]]>Dec 14th 2007 9:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/san-francisco-could-offer-credits-rebates-to-promote-solar-pane/
Not only are PV cells not the real answer as a fossil fuel substitute (in addition to the energy cost of manufacture, many of the materials used in fabrication have to be mined and are quite toxic).

Neither are biofuels the answer --- rainforests are being denuded (release huge quantities of CO2) to grow palm oil trees.

Sadly, the best option right now is nuclear fission. If we're lucky, we might get nuclear fusion working within 25 years.]]>Dec 14th 2007 6:37PM