[PurpleLove08]

On my way to a meeting for work, I was listening to KUAR (NPR) like I normally do and Blanche Lincoln was on saying that she wanted Arkansas to have a bigger share of the Clean Energy bill that is expected to come up in Congress soon.
She said she felt Arkansas does not have enough potential for wind or solar energy. I'll give her that we don't have enough potential for wind but I was shocked that she said solar energy would not work in this state.

Where I live, there is plenty of sunshine and my neighbors and I would do well to put solar panels on our home.
There is even a subdivision in central AR somewhere that all the homes have solar power and the homes get 50-60% of their energy from the solar panels.

Do you feel Arkansas has great potential to produce solar energy?

[ridicter]

It's not really a votable proposition.

It's dependent on average amount of sun exposure, directness of sun (i.e. latitude), etc

State Energy Alternatives: Alternative Energy Resources in Arkansas

[Fasder]

The issue breaks down into camps. First is available alternate energy for Commercial means verses Home.

If you look at Commercial, both Wind and Solar are not as efficient in Arkansas as in other states. But for your home, well unless you are going to purchase a house designed for alternate energy production, you adapt to what you have already.

So it is not going to hurt you do to home use of Solar or Wind type energy applications. But you will not get as good of production as other home owners in regions.

Considering the cost of investment, production, and support for energy plants, I can see why Arkansas is not considered a good investment location for large scale Solar or Wind.

Now, Geothermal Development in Arkansas, has already been started .. namely Hot Springs, AR. Check out this link, where

Also in 1807, settlers founded the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas, where, in 1830, Asa Thompson charged one dollar each for the use of three spring-fed baths in a wooden tub, and the first known commercial use of geothermal energy occurred.

Geothermal Technologies Program: A History of Geothermal Energy in the United States

[annettelaw]

The stimulus package contains a lot of money for local government investment in alternative energy technologies. I hope Arkansas is developing programs and applying for some of this money. You can view the grants at Grants.gov.

[Luvvarkansas]

I'm not sure, but I personally love the idea of getting my electricity from the sun and not being dependent on the electric company. I hope that someday soon the technology will improve to the point that it will become commonplace.

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas

I'm not sure, but I personally love the idea of getting my electricity from the sun and not being dependent on the electric company. I hope that someday soon the technology will improve to the point that it will become commonplace.

There was an article about a year ago, Luv, that outlined how this boy genius developed a super-productive solar panel with ultra density for a High school project. Very small, dense, cheap panels that would make it possible for anyone to utilize them.

No word for a while, then I saw where M.I.T. applied for a patent for them.

Never underestimate big business.

[ridicter]

Originally Posted by RogMar

There was an article about a year ago, Luv, that outlined how this boy genius developed a super-productive solar panel with ultra density for a High school project. Very small, dense, cheap panels that would make it possible for anyone to utilize them.

No word for a while, then I saw where M.I.T. applied for a patent for them.

Never underestimate big business.

So you're suggesting that MIT applied for a patent for the high school student's design, because, though he was genius enough to apparently develop this technology, he wasn't genius enough to apply for a patent?

P.S. I indirectly know a brilliant Arkansan working in the solar industry. He set records while he lived here.

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by ridicter

So you're suggesting that MIT applied for a patent for the high school student's design, because, though he was genius enough to apparently develop this technology, he wasn't genius enough to apply for a patent?

P.S. I indirectly know a brilliant Arkansan working in the solar industry. He set records while he lived here.

No, I'm not suggesting it, I'm simply puking the contents of the article.

He set records in AR? That's not hard to do since we all have 3rd grade educations, is it?

[ridicter]

So I'm searching for the article, I found this (MIT opens new 'window' on solar energy - MIT News Office), but no mention of a high schooler. Obviously that's MIT's site, so they probably wouldn't mention it. But I can't find it elsewhere.

Care to direct me to the relevant link?

He was the son of a UA professor. Obviously, the physics records will be lower in AR than in CA, but it's still a huge feat.

Now, who ever said that Arkansans have only 3rd grade educations? It's at least 6th grade.

[bagelw]

I think NWA would be a better candidate for wind energy over solar. It stays fairly windy here most of time. Especially Benton county where most of the county sits on a plateau.