-> DW> -> There is not a single example of solar energy you can
pull which does 
-> DW> not 
-> DW> -> royally draw on subventions. 
-> DW> -> 
-> DW> -> Take away the subventions and the subsidies and it becomes 
-> DW> uninteresting. 
->   
-> DW> Nonsense. I know of plenty of people who heat water in summertime with 
-> DW> solar heat, especially for applications such as swimming pools. They 
-> DW> just run the water through a dark-coloured hose laid on the ground. No 
-> DW> government funding is involved. 
->   
-> You seem to not distinguish between "heating" to
temperatures high enough, a 
-> being able to sustain enough of that heat for 12-14 hours continuous, in ord 
-> to drive turbines producing a couple of hundred megawatt for up to 14 hours 
-> solid without any additional energy being added to the process ... and 
-> "warming" the water of a swimming pool to make it cozy enough to 
swim. 
  
Warming water requires energy. If the energy comes from the sun, then 
it's an application of solar energy. You said that there are no viable 
applications of solar energy. You were wrong. 
  
There are situations in which electricity produced from sunlight is 
economically preferable to other sources. In Egypt, there are 
cell-phone sites along the highways, even out in the desert. Being able 
to call for help can be a life-saver out there. The sites are powered 
by big photovoltaic panels. Presumably, there are storage batteries for 
night. PV is cheaper than running hundreds of kilometres of wire. 
  
It is true that producing large quantities of electricity with PV is 
more expensive than nuclear power - at least, it is at present. But 
other factors can enter the overall calculation, making PV (and 
solar-thermal power) economically preferable. 
  
                           dow 
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