DConf 2013 Day 3 Talk 1: Metaprogramming in the Real World by Don Clugston

[John Colvin]

On Tuesday, 11 June 2013 at 19:38:13 UTC, Steven Schveighoffer 
wrote:
> On Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:21:31 -0400, John Colvin 
> <john.loughran.colvin at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Tuesday, 11 June 2013 at 18:47:35 UTC, Walter Bright wrote:
>>> On 6/11/2013 8:28 AM, Adam D. Ruppe wrote:
>>>> It is great stuff, solar power is almost free money if you 
>>>> can wait 20 years for
>>>> it.
>>>
>>> Yeah, but you'll have to replace it before 20 years!
>>
>> Source? There's not much that wears out in a photovoltaic 
>> AFAIK. The associated electrical components may break however, 
>> especially on some of the more complex setups.
>
> I have to laugh at this.  "Solar is *almost* free money *if* 
> you can wait 20 years"
>
> Solar isn't ready yet.  It's not cost effective.  But cost 
> effectiveness isn't even the issue.  It's not sustainable.  You 
> need fossil fuels to mine the materials, ship them, assemble 
> the components, etc.  Until you can power all those things with 
> pure solar, you are still dependent on fossil fuel.
>
> I've seen all these "Solar farm" installations, and they are 
> butt-ugly.  I find it ironic that we are cutting down trees to 
> make room for these things...
>
> You can save energy more cost effectively in other ways.  I 
> have no doubt that solar technology will continue to innovate, 
> but the worst thing we can do right now is subsidize it.  When 
> it's ready (and it will be), it will succeed on its own merits.
>
> -Steve

It's not ready to roll out as the energy of the future, but in 
certain circumstances it's a good deal for an individual.