Climate Change

Wilhelm Von Rhomboid wrote:You think (not you, CW, but the generic 'you') that they have cornered the global market in manufacturing this stuff but don't twig the potential benefit for their own use?

No,

I am actually impressed by the quality opf the stuff, it used to be that semiconductors from China were a bit carp, back in my day, but now....good stuff.

Good thing too, as most German stuff is used by their home market. Hence the "irony" kennyr refers to, that we can't get the good European stuff as it is kept for their home market, so if you want it, you tend to get forced to buy China.

I refuse to get into an argument about "renewable energy miles" from China , though...better to do SOMETHING renewable, in my book, than sit and bewail the fact that the German panals are not available until 2015 or whatever! (I also view the Chinese situation as vastly btter than it was and their embracing selling to the west, if from carefully checked out factories, may be a better thing than total communist isolation...but thats for another thread)

WE used to be really good at semiconductors (sigh) I know, I was in it... I constantly feel "what a wasted opportunity"

kennyr wrote:No one see an irony in transporting cheaper mass produced PV accross the globe

well that's where lifecycle analysis of systems comes into play. Which is one of the factors weighted in Sustainabilty assessment. we log the mileage of vehicles journeys coming on and off site on some jobs.

Compostwoman wrote:WE used to be really good at semiconductors...

Have we passed the point of no return?

Have been out of the loop for some time HL, CM less time...but yes I think we are...which is rather sad...

Also CM has pointed out , at least some of the "Northern European" renewable stuff is actually China made, with small finishing "extras" added over in the EU ( eg the glass over solar panels) so as to be counted as "EU made"

So not really Made in the EU, tbh

Billy , one of the factors for us was where the stuff came from, who made it ( from an env impact and ethical pov etc ) also how many times had it been shipped around, how far away did any "MCS " type people have to travel etc etc ...

we tried to use as local a firm as we could and sourced ancillary stuff via mail order with other deliveries we needed etc, also CM did as much as he could do in the way of prep, making frames etc so as to try to minimise the " renewable miles" embodied in our install.

NOT something I think the "big firms" bother with when trying to sell their "renewable" goods....

Compostwoman wrote:Have been out of the loop for some time HL, CM less time...but yes I think we are...which is rather sad...

Are PV cells such a complicated thing to tool up and make?
Obviously a bit beyond something I can knock up in my shed, but I don't believe they are actually difficult.

Obviously, keeping pace with stuff like processors would be very hard.