energy "payback" of PV's [RE-wrenches]

Fri Jul 4 09:48:07 PDT 2003

Oh heck, 

I'll add to the silliness. At least one PV module manufacturer uses
cheap hydro from the Columbia River to grow their cells and many
aluminium manufacturers use hydro as well for their power source.  Now
we are down to quibbling about the relative merits and demerits of
run-of-stream vs. stored water hydro generation.  I'd say the argument
gets largely pointless if manufacturers choose to locate in area where
large quantities of power are produced by semi-renewable resources.
(Semi because of fish and other habitat damage.)

Regards,

Ezra

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Smiley [mailto:Eric_Smiley at bcit.ca] 
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2003 12:32 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: energy "payback" of PV's [RE-wrenches]

I think this argument is meant go beyond a simple energy payback as
presented in the (excellent) Home Power article that Ian mentioned.
Although the argument presented  by your corresondant seems to be flawed
because it assumes that PV cells are produced with fossil fuels, I did
scan the referenced website and webpages and the website is attempting
to address the (much) larger question of what happens when there are no
fossil fuels left.

In other words, for the purposes of this discussion and leaving aside
wind, hydro and other "renewables", could  PV produce enough energy to
operate  mines, run transport trucks, process silicon, operate
factories, run contractors vehicles, build roads, produce food to feed
the workers, etc. i.e. all the infrastructure and even the society that
allows PV cells to be produced and installed in the first place?

Again, I only scanned the website, but I think this is the gist of the
argument. In that larger context your corresondent makes a good point,
but by trying to simplify and apply it to the particular case of PV
their logic is sketchy.

I would like to believe that a "PV breeder" could, over it's lifespan,
produce enough PV modules that would in turn produce enough energy to
transport, house and feed all the workers and produce the PV cells,
copper wire, inverters, concrete etc. all the way from the mine to the
installed system AND build a new PV plant to replace the original one.

It's a good question because the PV industry has an energy subsidy from
fossil fuels in terms of the energy required to manufacture everything
from the computer we prepare our quotes on to the wrenches we use to
well ... wrench.

Sorry to ramble on. Is there an RE-philosophers list-serve?

Eric Smiley
Project Leader
Photovoltaic Energy Applied Research, Technology Centre
British Columbia Institute of Technology

NE25 - 3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, British Columbia
Canada V5G 3H2

phone: 604.432.8657    fax: 604.436.0286
esmiley at bcit.ca             www.tc.bcit.ca

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