I think Solar Power is a very promising business to invest. It true that currently solar cell power is more expensive than several main power generation methods, but take mobile-PC for example, when volume is high and energy is expensive, solar cell power will be very very competitive. With its "clean" and "light weight" nature (compared to gas, coal,.. power) it will enable many good applications.

November 28, 2006.

But what about life cycle issues. To date I have never seen any document that disputes the fact that the energy required to make the components of a solar system exceeds the energy produced over the life of the system. That translates to a net energy loss! Why are we throwing tax incentives, etc. at something that depletes energy rather than captures it? True, it makes sense in space or for a mountain cabin off-grid.

It may make sense in the future when solar panels serve double duty as shingles, or where co-generation improves the overall extraction efficiency. But right now we are paying people to waste energy by installing solar. A sure sign of sucessfully crossing that bridge will be when solar power costs less than alternatives--of course, at that point, subsidies won't be necessary! In the mean time, the sun can be much more effectively harnessed to heat water or occupied spaces than to generate electricity.