Re: @45RPM
"Solar panels have an energy payback time of around 2 years"
But the entire system takes from 20 to 30 years to pay back. I've run the numbers. Solar basically pays for itself just in time to fall apart.
Note that this is not necessarily a bad thing!
Note also that this is for a smaller installation ... your home in California, where we have lots of sunlight, for example. Wiring up a small town (or larger) quickly becomes a logistical nightmare.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
