Peak oil

[Skvez]

(23 August 2012, 09:18)Hrusai Wrote: i also think that space based solar is one of the best ways to go,

Space based solar is *not* viable (at this time or in the foreseeable future).
The amount of energy required to get something into orbit is vast, the payback time on a solar panel in orbit even assuming 100% transmission efficiency wouldn't justify putting it into space.

Hrusai Wrote:and by beaming it down in the form of microwaves, then transforming it back into proper electricity.

Huge microwave beams of energy from space to the surface, does anyone see an opportunity for a cock-up there?

Hrusai Wrote:of course none of this will happen largely due to greed, companies dont want to lose out,

It's not a question of greed any company that tried to go fully solar would go bust, their competition could produce the same product for less money (in the short term) using oil. No company can afford to go bust.
Solar not being picked up massively because it's still too expensive. As oil prices creep up and solar prices creep down more and more people will creep to solar, it is happening but it happens slowly.

People already complain about the green energy tax that we pay at the minute to subsidise the wind turbines, solar would be even worse. The German economy is being badly damaged by their governments energy police, it's simply more economic for a company to manufacture somewhere else.