In regards to massive solar power, one the barriers to building a 40,000 square mile solar panel array in low population density, highly sunlit desert
is cost and a complete transformation of the national energy infrastructure.
This can be mitigated by starting small, namely at the home. One of the problems I see with solar roofs is that for most home owners installing solar
panels amounts to additional costs above the costs of mortgage and upkeep, furthermore it may entail substantial changes to the structure of the home,
finally, it requires the owner to make the often substantial effort to install solar panels. In addition many solar panel installation companies have
problems financing the solar installations, since they often have to loan money to the home owner.
To address these problems it will be far easier if homes are built with solar panels on the roof in the first place.
Here is an analogy to help clarify the issue. Just imagine buying a home that does not have any electrical wiring, no outlets, and no breaker box.
There are power lines running close to your home and there are companies that can not only connect you to the power lines but, also wire your house.
Just imagine wiring a house that is already completely built, for electricity -- it is quite an undertaking. The owner would have to pay for every
piece of wire, every outlet, every breaker box, etc. The business would have to run wire inside of walls, possibly drill through wall supports,
install at least one outlet in every room, it may require crawling in the attic, or in the crawlspace, it would require time and money.
Yet, since electrical wiring, outlet boxes, breaker boxes, etc are installed as the house is being built it is less expensive, easier, and efficient.
The businesses that install the wiring are paid by the companies that construct the houses and/or the workers who help to the build the houses, also
know how to install the wiring, so there are less problems in financing. Eventually all parties who helped construct the house are paid by a bank of
some type who in turn is paid by the owner. The owner has to pay only one bill for the entire structure of the house, the mortgage, the price for
wiring the house, for plumbing the house, etc is all included indirectly in that one mortgage payment.
The buyer does not have to make the effort to install the wiring, nor does the buyer have to incur additional expenses.
The lesson is that it would be less expensive, easier, and more efficient if solar panels, storage batteries, power control units, etc were installed
as the house was being built. Since most houses are built as a part of a community of houses, all solar panels, batteries, power control units, etc
would be bought in large quantities, thereby allowing the economy of scale to take effect and lower the price of each individual panel, battery,
control unit, etc. It would even more efficient if all contractors or workers building the house also know how to install solar panels along with
storage batteries, power control units, etc.
Solar panels on the roof should, one day, be seen as a necessity like electrical wiring or plumbing. Prospective buyers would assume the house has
solar panels, just like prospective buyers of most homes assume it has electrical wiring and plumbing. There would be less problems in financing the
solar panel installation, since all parties involved in building the house are paid by a bank, business, corporation, etc. Finally the cost of the
solar panel installation would only result in an incremental increase in the mortgage payment, as opposed to being a completely separate loan. In this
manner the home owner would have to only pay one bill, the mortgage which indirectly would pay for the solar panels.
Also solar panels do not have to be restricted to the roof, solar panels could and should also be installed on the outside vertical walls of the
house, thereby making the entire exterior surface of the house into a solar collector.
In certain ares of the U.S. there would be sufficient energy generated during the day such that it would leave enough energy to meet all energy needs
at night. Houses, in these areas, could store this additional energy in the form of hydrogen. Large hydrogen tanks could be built in the attic,
basement, yard, etc along with a water splitting plant using municipal water. The water splitting system could be closed so that no additional costs
are incurred from using municipal water supplies. Excess energy generated during the day could be stored as hydrogen for use at night.
In fact in these areas houses could be completely independent. Electricity would be provided by the sun, which could meet all energy needs if all the
appliances in the house are electric. Even water could be supplied if the electrical energy is used to extract water from the air using an atmospheric
water generator:
en.wikipedia.org...
Since the electricity used to operate the atmospheric water generator comes from solar power it will have a smaller Carbon Footprint! Atmospheric
water generators are available for purchase online:
AquaBoy Atmospheric Water Generator
Large water tanks could store water for use in water heaters. To make these atmospheric water generators as efficient as possible they could also be
built into the house, so that air from the exterior or interior, of the house could be used to extract water. During times when the air exterior to
the house is warmer, the AWG would use exterior air. When the air inside the house is warmer the AWG would use interior air, or it could use a mix of
the two whatever results in the most amount of water for the least amount of energy used.
Home owners in these areas could live a comfortable life with a significantly smaller carbon footprint.
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