Solar Power

A lot of people have asked my opinion on solar power, so here it is.

For the UK at domestic level PV cells (electricity from solar) is a non-starter on payback grounds, the best system I've seen has a capital payback of over 22 years and unless you are very lucky you will need to start replacing cells after 15-20.

Aside from the payback solar cell production is on very shaky environmental grounds, these are excerpts from a recent article in Renewable Energy World:
"the environmental risks associated with PV depend on the specific type of cell being made
Cell type - Potential Hazards
x-Si - HF acid burns, SiH4 fires/explosions, Lead solder
a-Si - SiH4 fires/explosions
CdTe - Cadmium toxicity, Carcinogenicity
CIS,CGS - H2Se toxicity
GaAs - AsH3 toxicity, As carcingenicity, H2 flammability"
additionally all cells have a problem with end of life disposal, no recycling technology currently exists.

Solar Water heating on the other hand either by rooftop panels/ vacuum tubes or underground pipes is a MUST for every green thinking citizen. typical paybacks are 3-5 years and installation is regularly equivalent to installing a new radiator (just on the roof!).