Here Comes the Sun (Rob van Hattum, VPRO Backlight)
The sun could easily provide the planet with sufficient energy, if only we are willing to change and to invest in harvesting that solar energy…
Tags: Solar Energy, VPRO, Comes, sun, Backlight, Hattum
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9:35 it says that area of France can meet total annual energy needs. From wiki the suns irradiation is around 1000W/m2 straight down (assume panels adjusted 90 d. towards the sun always). Lets say it gets 12 hours a day sunshine. Lets be optimistic and assume we always have clear sky and we get 30% efficiency. We get 1000*365*12*3600*0.3 Ws energy equal Joules ( 1Ws = 1J) out of 1m2. From wiki world energy cons. 474 E18 J. I get almost 2 areas of France and that is very very optimistic.
@ThatHawaiiGuy
You’re right, many more people should see this.
But for the record, this documentary was made by the antique media; VPRO (foundend 1926) is one of the Dutch public broadcasters.
Probably the most important documentary I have seen in my life. Its almost two years old but I didn’t see it before. Prices for solar panels has decreased already to less then 1 USD per Watt, since Chinese entrepeneurs has entered the market. The guy in the vid talked about 3 USD, but that’s history! Within this decade solar energy will be cheaper than fossile and nuclear energy. Any investment in these old-fashioned technologies will be a waste of (tax-) money.
@Jcolinsol: Peace is more profitable to the tax-payer. War is more profitable to the war profiteers and the politicians who’s campaigns are largely funded by said war profiteers.
@Jcolinsol: War is not profitable? Every aspect of the wars in the middle east have been privatized. Contractors, sub-contractors, sub-sub-contractors, etc. are being paid to carry out every task from administration to the front lines. What’s more is that the companies profiting off of these wars have poured millions of dollars into lobbying firms that petition the government to continue and expand the war.
@Rationalranter
What? How does that work. Of course peace is more profitable war. War wastes huge quantities of resources, labor, and tax revenue.
I don’t think it will take an energy bubble to make green energy pervasive, the government just needs to stop supporting the oil industry. We’d never be in this situation in the first place.
If you rely on state investment into this technology, you are going to have the exact same problem as with oil: industry domination.
@Jcolinsol there is no profit in peace, if it takes a bubble ill take that bubble.
@Mikannika very true, it is unfortunate that population size has become one of those taboo subject areas that people are reluctant to address, yet unless we take direct responsibility over our family sizes all our efforts for new economic systems and sustainable lifestyles will be in vain and disastrous consequences will unfold. I feel we are already marching down the road to disaster, its a shame since education and lifestyle change now could prevent war and famine in the future.
Today more energy results in more people wher it should be more energy is more wealth. As long as we can’t control the amount of people on earth a energy transition will only help the amount of people to grow even further and we soon (even allready) run into other problems…
except nuclear fusion is simply no where near a stage of usefulness, solar and wind on the other hand is in production currently and is producing good solid results.
@parthsna
Do you have a fusion reactor that I can buy NOW? No you haven’t so until then we’ll have to do with Solar Energy.
brilliant!! thank you soooooooo much for speaking truth and educating the masses!!!
The transmission of electricity to Europe from the Desertec project will raise painful security problems, see what happens to the line Marib - Sanaa in Yemen (I’ve been Resident Site Mngr there).
My advice to the leaders of Desertec is to go for mainly Hydrogen production in Sahara, not electricity.
“Economically Viable” in the USA means it makes money now. We have no vision for the future. Without a plan, we won’t make it there. Direct conversion of sunlight into electricity is the prime and best long-term energy solution. Energy diversity is important too, but the less “converting” you do (sun to trees to oil to fire) the more efficient it is. PV panels are at $1.65 a watt now. That’s $10K to power a house forever (after incentives). In 30 years of service it nets you $220K profit. Uh huh
@Yavor54
I consider offering people their personal liberty a basic element of humane civility.
I am greatly disappointed to see that so much of this investment into solar power are being sparked by state incentives. That just screams “not economically viable”.
It could be useful, in the same way that state investment in computers did end up progressing the technology. But expect monopolies, expect that the entities that grow up to provide this useful service are going to be toxic.
And when they say something like “solar energy boom” it just sounds like “solar energy bubble”.
Nuclear fusion is not waste free (side reactions causes active isotopes), and waste tritium; is not for free after billions that has been funded tens of years before. It will be necessary to build more than one, because of problems with “first wall” or any others. It is super centralization and take power over people. After Bundestag Commission it is unrealistic, that NF will cover crucial part of earth demand before 2100. At this moment must be the energetic question solved completely.
Excellent video. Some really interesting points and nice footage.
@Yavor54
‘A broken educations system’- US still has the best universities in the world and still a preferred place for intelligent people from all over the world for research, training and education. Every country needs to revamp primary education from time to time, USA’s time is now.
‘eight years of a mentally-retarded president’- much better than the one you have now. Who is planning to cap the number of smart qualified professionals from entering your nation.
OR, Nuclear FUsion. Instead of harnessing weak energy rays from a distant star, make 100s of stars here on earth!
No emissions, no nuclear waste and almost free after the initial costs.
Google ITER
du do du do.
sadly, I feel like not much is going to change in the next four years as well. Our country is being destroyed by our own pathetic excesses.
The grass is just as jellow at the neighbors :)
Netherlands? Try living in the USA. A broken educations system, a mind-set that includes the “right” to drive HUGE smoking vehicles and eight years of a mentally-retarded president…. leave us 30 years behind. It is like living in a bad television program. Be glad you live in a civilized country.
Oh we are so behind in the Netherlands. Only because Shell has such a big finger in our politics. I hope that in about 5 year high efficient very cheap solar panels will be available and i will put my roof full of them.