Potential breakthroughs in solar technology

Just gotta keep taking steps in the right direction! What we have to work with now is not going to be perfect but still 'better' overall. There are pros and cons to everything for sure.

Clean energy can be from any source we want, but too many forces want to keep us using the outdated things that destroy the environment because they aren't done milking money from it yet lol I can only imagine how much more advanced we would have been if we didn't have people squashing everything at every turn for so many years. We'll invest in newer things when they tell us we're ready to... and once they switch over to make money from the new sources.

I do wish we were able to be allowed to be more sustainable individually. Also, being able to use our own homes to provide electricity for others in our communities would be awesome... but they don't want us to do that really, or at least they probably want to charge us for that service. Greed is hindering progress way too often.

It always does, doesn't it?

Annie, when you can, please let us know about the Tesla roof tiles. I want some non bias information on them.

The condition of the roof is something that you should be taking into consideration prior to fitting.

I always wondered how the roof panels would hold up in a major hurricane. I suspect you would need major repairs then.

I think they are supposed to be pretty sturdy and wind resistant, so might be good through hurricanes. I'd wait until others use it for longer, though ;p I don't like being the guinea pig if I don't have to be.

Exactly Heather. I thought about it but am holding off for now.

Talking about roof,  I did not know the ugly looking roof at my new place costs a fortune. The contractor told us that was concrete roof.

It is Karen, it does not look good either.

This is what the house has right now:

eagleroofing.com/products/browse-tile/tile-results/?region=southern-california&profile=double-eagle-ponderosa&pg=1

Yes, concrete tile Cherry.

I don't know what possessed the previous owner, those look ugly and they are expensive. Tile alone is about $8.5/SFT.

They are, at best, very plain. Not my choice at all.

What are you having instead?

Earlier this year a purchased four solar powered lanterns for our patio. The lanterns mimicked a flame lit torch, rather pretty really.

All summer the torches stayed lighted throughout the night until full daylight. Here in mid-fall, they go off about midnight.

Just the tilt of the Earth apparently has quite an effect. But then who stays up after midnight?

One advantage I think conventional hydrocarbon and nuclear power plants have are their relatively small acreage footprints. Often increasing energy output doesn't even requite additional grounds.

However, if America is to eliminate border enforcement while at the same time switch to solar and wind power, isn't it somewhat likely environmental damage will result as solar panels take up an ever increasing amount of vacant land?