Patent filing claims solar energy ‘breakthrough’

[kristopher]

19. That must be why the utilities are rushing to install solar.

You certainly are channelling a lot of your inner Nnads lately. Your attacks on renewables are becoming increasingly desperate and shrill.

The "power density" argument that is so popular with the nuclear set is asinine; we have no shortage of space.

Using JUST the brownfield sites in the US we can produce the equivalent of 90% of our energy consumed. The fossil fuel and nuclear industries are so intent on spreading lies about renewables that the DOE had to produce a special fact sheet to address them titled "Myths about Solar Electricity"

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 exam-
ple, with today’s com- mercial 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.


Myth #5
Solar electric systems are unreliable and produce substandard electricity.
Solar electric systems are some of the most reliable products available today. They are silent, have no moving parts, and have been tested to rigorous standards by public and private organizations. Many solar electric products have been tested and listed by Underwriters Laboratories, just as electrical appliances are. Warranties of 20-25 years are standard for most modules.
Solar electric systems connected to the utility grid generate the same kind of power as that from the power line. Today’s systems must meet the requirements of the National Electrical Code, the local utility, and local building codes. Once these systems are installed according to these requirements, the owner of a solar-electric-powered home has electricity of the same quality as any other utility customer.

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


My favorite answer on this sheet is the one for this myth:
Solar electricity can do everything—right now!


Solar electricity will eventually contribute a significant part of our electricity supply, but the industry required to produce these systems must grow more than tenfold over the next 10 years. In 2001, about 400 megawatts of solar electric modules were produced worldwide. According to an industry-planning document, in order to supply just 10% of U.S. generation capacity by 2030, the U.S. solar electricity industry must supply more than 3,200 megawatts per year. Most experts agree that with continued research, solar electric systems will become more efficient, even more reliable, and less expensive.

At the time this was written we were leading in panel production.
They said that 400MW of factory capacity needed to grow to 4GW by 2020.
What is global manufacturing capacity now, in 2013? It's closer to 40GW than 4GW isn't it?

What's the result?




What does a similar graph look like for nuclear?



Notice the difference in direction?