Environment  Energy
Persian Gulf states getting hot for solar power
News agencies
Published: 31.12.12, 06:59
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1. Solar is a great way to go. Germany produces much of its
Rivkah   (12.31.12)
electricity from solar which is a lot safer than nuclear power plants that should be shut down worldwide and solar put in to replace that.
2. The numbers for German solar production are misleading
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, USA   (12.31.12)
To say Germany gets "much" of its electricity from solar is to question what the meaning of "much" is. But some of the boasts refer to a brief period in the middle of a summer day last year. That hardly holds for their nighttime contribution or that provided at this (winter) time of year. It's also the product of serious government subsidies, making it some of Europe's most expensive electricity, and far more costly than that in France (generated by nuclear power). Obviously there's more opportunity in the Persian Gulf. But this project, if it requires 300 football fields of panels to power 20,000 homes, suggests it would require 30,000 football fields of solar to provide power for the two million homes in Israel. And when the sun goes down? What's their storage solution? By the way, Germany's decision to phase out nuclear power (announced after Fukushima) hides a dirty little secret. It's reported they'll make up that power by ...building coal-driven power plants and buying nuclear-generated power from neighboring countries!
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