LED Lighting

[k0ua]

Mandating efficient lighting is a whole lot easier than building more generating stations and a reliable grid. I'm not even sure it is even possible to build a reliable grid, with the degree of interconnectedness we have today...

If we are trying to keep from upgrading the generating capability and the delivery capacity of the grid by mandating more effecient lighting, then heaven help us when we all buy "plug in cars". Now tell me just how in the heck is that going to work.? If everyone had a "plug in car" the grid would melt instantly and the generators would stall, the breakers would trip, and the electric world would come to a screeching halt. Like others have said here, I think LED lights are the future, just the future is not quite here yet.

James K0UA

 

[zmjc]

heaven help us when we all buy "plug in cars". Now tell me just how in the heck is that going to work.?

A lot of engineers are wondering that too.

However, electric cars are mostly hype. (How many Nissan Leafs have you seen?) The unavoidable reality for the foreseeable future is that it is way more efficient to scoop petroleum out of the ground, refine it, pipe it, and truck it to your service station.

Kind of like solar cells... we can pretend they are green, but the first step in making them is melting sand. Which, ahem, takes a lot of energy! So they don't actually make any sense, except in a few speciality applications.

 

[MicroPilot]

...Kind of like solar cells... we can pretend they are green, but the first step in making them is melting sand. Which, ahem, takes a lot of energy! So they don't actually make any sense, except in a few speciality applications.

I'm curious, is there anyway to calculate how much energy a solar panel needs to produce to offset the amount of energy required to build it?

 

[zmjc]

I'm curious, is there anyway to calculate how much energy a solar panel needs to produce to offset the amount of energy required to build it?

The best way to tell is the price of the solar cell (before government subsidies!). Then calculate how many kWhrs you'll get out of them (accounting for the sunniness or non-sunniness of your area), and compare to local utilities rates.

Here in Ontario, a lot of solar panels have been installed, but only because the government offered solar installations 70 cents / kWhr, while they cleverly resell it at 7 cents / kWhr! But they'll get that deficit under control, yessir, any time now...