Japanese manufacturers look to cash in on solar power boom

[jpak]

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070220a3.html

With the global-warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" hot at the box office and a recent report by the U.N. laying the blame for climate change and rising sea levels at humanity's feet, renewable energy sources are getting a fresh look.

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"We believe the solar power market has the potential for long-term growth . . . mainly led by strong demand in the European Union," said Takashi Tomita, general manager at Sharp Corp.'s solar group.

A hydrogen filling station at Honda Motor Co.'s experimental facility in Los Angeles uses electricity from solar panels (seen at right) to split hydrogen from water. PHOTO COURTESY OF HONDA MOTOR CO.

According to market research firm Yano Research Institute Ltd., solar cell production worldwide jumped 29.5 percent year on year to 1787.7 megawatts in terms of power generation capacity in 2005 and is expected to grow more than threefold by 2015.

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[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Other countries are world's ahead of us when it comes to selling

solar-powered garden items. It would be very feasible for an American corporation to pick this product up. Cutting the mailing costs from Australia alone could make a Made-in-America product that much more desirable.

[KansDem]

2. I remember discussing this one subject with a college professor some 25 years ago!!!

"We are looking to market (our solar panels) for a variety of uses other than just for housing," Tomita said, citing automobiles as the next promising market.

Sharp is also in talks with several domestic and foreign automakers on ways photovoltaic technologies can help reduce car emissions.

Tomita said solar panels could be installed on the roof of a car and provide electricity to supplement the power of the gas engine.

I remember talking with him about doing this to fuel the air conditioner. I thought the AC could be powered by the very energy its design to counterbalance. Imagine: you would only need AC when the sun was out which is the only time you'd need fuel to operate the AC. And I believe AC is one of the biggest drains on the automobile engine.

We discussed this during a music lesson...and if two musicians can come up with this idea 25 years ago, why can't the whole ****ing auto industry with its teams of highly-paid designers, researchers, developers, scientists, and CEOs?

:banghead:

[madrchsod]

3. saab had a prototype solar paneled roof

several years ago. i think the problem was cost, durability, and structural safety. those problems should be overcome with the technology of today.