Do you know how insanely wasteful going to space is???
Also solar cells are about twice as efficient now as they were in the 1970’s. So those panels were definitely useful even back then, but let’s be honest they were for show. Regan definitely made a statement by tearing them down and that was we are all in on petroleum. Fucking stupid.
Nah, solar power just needed time to be viable. As the science progressed, the costs of solar power dropped by half every few years. Now its viable. Back then it really, really wasn’t.
Having a solar panel to signal intentions was nothing but cringe waste of taxpayer money at the time - costs were like two orders of magnitude too high. I’d remove that shit same as Regan did if I made the decisions.
Even ignoring the fact that adoption spurs development of technology, once they were already installed it cost nothing to leave them there. Wouldn’t removing them also be a waste of taxpayer money?
Let me guess, the symbolism suddenly becomes worth it when it’s your side.
That only happens with investments in that development.
No. This is an interdisciplinary issue, where semiconductors, manufacturing tech, automation, and ton of other tech had to come together at scale to make that product viable. No amount of money in 70s would bring you affordable solar panels. It’s like asking medieval craftsman to produce a nuclear weapon. It’s not going to ever happen without entire economy and all disciplines of science maturing enough to deliver
Do you know how insanely wasteful was using solar panels at the time???
Do you know how insanely wasteful going to space is???
Also solar cells are about twice as efficient now as they were in the 1970’s. So those panels were definitely useful even back then, but let’s be honest they were for show. Regan definitely made a statement by tearing them down and that was we are all in on petroleum. Fucking stupid.
They were half as efficient and like 50x more expensive.
Yeah, statement of respecting taxpayers money. The tech just wasn’t there
Actually, it wasn’t solar panels it was a solar heater to warm water. This technology was cheap and effective back then.
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Nah, solar power just needed time to be viable. As the science progressed, the costs of solar power dropped by half every few years. Now its viable. Back then it really, really wasn’t.
Having a solar panel to signal intentions was nothing but cringe waste of taxpayer money at the time - costs were like two orders of magnitude too high. I’d remove that shit same as Regan did if I made the decisions.
Even ignoring the fact that adoption spurs development of technology, once they were already installed it cost nothing to leave them there. Wouldn’t removing them also be a waste of taxpayer money?
Let me guess, the symbolism suddenly becomes worth it when it’s your side.
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Bruh, at that cost there was NOTHING to encourage.
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No. This is an interdisciplinary issue, where semiconductors, manufacturing tech, automation, and ton of other tech had to come together at scale to make that product viable. No amount of money in 70s would bring you affordable solar panels. It’s like asking medieval craftsman to produce a nuclear weapon. It’s not going to ever happen without entire economy and all disciplines of science maturing enough to deliver