Canada Solar Power

Canada is expected to meet its Kyoto obligation by 2012, and we’re woefully unprepared. Moral suasion is not having any dent, and that’s the only effort we can see.

I was thinking that Canada should offer some type of prize (like the Ansari X-Prize) for a certain quality of solar cell. That way, we can develop the cells and then implement them in a rush before 2012, in a desperate attempt to lower our electricity usage on an individual level. But I don’t know what type of criteria the prize should be for, I don’t know what to ask for.

If you were designing a prize, in order to get the ‘best’ solar cell you could, what would you ask for? If you’re looking for cost-effectiveness, how would the challenge be phrased?

If you’re in Canada, then contributing your ideas will help your country. If you don’t, then contributing ideas means that we’re working on technologies that will eventually benefit everyone. Everyone wins.

Something that's easy to wire up in the house - whether as a standole solar powered device, or something that will fit into the electricity meter and let you use the power when it's available, use the grid when it's dark, and sell excess back to the grid

Is solar power in Canada even feasable? Even in the US the most effective location is the south, primarily southeast. Most cloud free days, stongest solar rays. I know you can make a system that works but it would have to be so large to be effective and cost a lot. But I suppose if your only goal is to add KW to the grid during the day, everyone could put a panel on their roof facing south and be done with it.

Well, if Canada is anything like the US...

After the first few private wind power generators were installed in my community, power companies mandated NON-REVERSING meters. Any unused power goes into the grid, but you do not get paid for it.

Later they further mandated additional wiring to prevent feeding power back to the grid at all, supposedly for "lineman safety". In other words, lineman were in danger of getting fried by working on wires that were supposed to be dead, but getting power from somewhere else.

You may want to contact your local Power company, and ask what the actual requirements are, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

Deadbeat

There is no reason to offer a prize.

Cheaper energy generation is its OWN prize.

There is no larger commodity market than energy.

Anyone coming up with a substantially CHEAPER form of energy stands to make a fortune.

The fact that that rarely happens is a good indication of how difficult the problem is.

As far as solar cells for home electricity production, you can forget that, at least in the time frames you are talking about. Solar Cells are DC. We use AC. Thus requiring Inverters. Solar Cells aren't based on demand, thus requiring Storage. The combination of inverters and batteries makes the solution prohibitive, even if you seriously cut the cost of the Cells themselves.

Face it, Canada won't make its Kyoto targets.

Then again, there never WAS a chance that it could.

Canada, like the US, with a strong economy and a growing population and a heavy reliance on fuel intensive manufacturing, mining and lumber industries should never be compared to the STAGNANT European populations/economies.

Arthur