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This is an issue that's taken care of by the advancement of technology in the end. Carr describes well the economic sense for centralized power production in hi

by jksmith 16y ago

This is an issue that's taken care of by the advancement of technology in the end. Carr describes well the economic sense for centralized power production in his book "The Big Switch," but centralized power production using legacy technology doesn't lend itself nearly as well to cost/benefit ratios as for instance units of computing power which have gotten substantially cheaper over time, so mainframe computing fell by the wayside. PV technology is more akin to computer technology than legacy power technology, so local power production using PV will end up being cheaper, provided your local utility doesn't step in and squash PV for their own benefit. Means becomes ends.

confuzatron 16y ago
If PV technology is indeed akin to computer technology (how, exactly?) then perhaps subsidies aren't needed, just as they weren't needed in the arena of computing. I am just not convinced that the government funnelling huge amounts of money towards buying technology that isn't economical results in the technology becoming economical any faster.
- lispm 16y ago
  No subsidies in the development of computing? That's a joke? Wait, who do you think has paid for the research. Ever heard of ARPA or DARPA? The whole computer technology came out of military applications paid by the tax payer. Ever heard of the origins of what we know as Internet, the ARPAnet? Google for 'secret history of silicon valley' and view the movie.
  - confuzatron 16y ago
    That is irrelevant to the issue, which is that of government subsidies on the purchase of computing technology, for end-users. No doubt NASA have done some solar panel research - that would be more analogous to what you mention. The only example I can vaguely remember was the funding in France for everyone to get some sort of modem-connected device. I don't believe this advanced computing hardware at all, and didn't place France in the lead of the computing technology race.
    - sedachv 16y ago
      You're talking about Minitel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel It's still in use and generating revenues 28 years after introduction.

by jksmith 16y ago

confuzatron 16y ago

If PV technology is indeed akin to computer technology (how, exactly?) then perhaps subsidies aren't needed, just as they weren't needed in the arena of computing. I am just not convinced that the government funnelling huge amounts of money towards buying technology that isn't economical results in the technology becoming economical any faster.

lispm 16y ago
No subsidies in the development of computing? That's a joke? Wait, who do you think has paid for the research. Ever heard of ARPA or DARPA? The whole computer technology came out of military applications paid by the tax payer. Ever heard of the origins of what we know as Internet, the ARPAnet? Google for 'secret history of silicon valley' and view the movie.
- confuzatron 16y ago
  That is irrelevant to the issue, which is that of government subsidies on the purchase of computing technology, for end-users. No doubt NASA have done some solar panel research - that would be more analogous to what you mention. The only example I can vaguely remember was the funding in France for everyone to get some sort of modem-connected device. I don't believe this advanced computing hardware at all, and didn't place France in the lead of the computing technology race.
  - sedachv 16y ago
    You're talking about Minitel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel It's still in use and generating revenues 28 years after introduction.