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Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry | 
| Author: Travis Bradford
Publisher: The MIT Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $15.29
You Save: $9.66 (39%)
New (23) Used (15) Collectible (1) from $10.73
Avg. Customer Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 27501
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 254
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8
ISBN: 026202604X
Dewey Decimal Number: 333.7923
EAN: 9780262026048
ASIN: 026202604X
Publication Date: September 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: CHARITY SALE!! Brand new. Slight shelf wear to the dust cover. 100% of the proceeds benefit the literacy work of Books for America.
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Product Description
In Solar Revolution, fund manager and former corporate buyout specialist Travis Bradford argues--on the basis of standard business and economic forecasting models--that over the next two decades solar energy will increasingly become the best and cheapest choice for most electricity and energy applications. Solar Revolution outlines the path by which the transition to solar technology and sustainable energy practices will occur.
Developments in the photovoltaic (PV) industry over the last ten years have made direct electricity generation from PV cells a cost-effective and feasible energy solution, despite the common view that PV technology appeals only to a premium niche market. Bradford shows that PV electricity today has become the choice of hundreds of thousands of mainstream homeowners and businesses in many markets worldwide, including Japan, Germany, and the American Southwest.
Solar energy will eventually be the cheapest source of energy in nearly all markets and locations because PV can bypass the aging and fragile electricity grid and deliver its power directly to the end user, fundamentally changing the underlying economics of energy. As the scale of PV production increases and costs continue to decline at historic rates, demand for PV electricity will outpace supply of systems for years to come.
Ultimately, the shift from fossil fuels to solar energy will take place not because solar energy is better for the environment or energy security, or because of future government subsidies or as yet undeveloped technology. The solar revolution is already occurring through decisions made by self-interested energy users. The shift to solar energy is inevitable and will be as transformative as the last century's revolutions in information and communication technologies.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
 Travis Gets It July 12, 2008
This is a great read. Unlike many authors who've written about solar in relation to other forms of energy generation, Travis thoughtfully analyzes why solar will be a big part of the solution. He considers issues of changing energy costs, cleanup costs (carbon), and solar's declining costs in parallel with those. He explains why distributed generation will be increasingly important for energy delivery compbatibly with centralized generation. A compelling and thought-provoking book.
 not your doe-eyed solar book July 5, 2008
What is unique about this solar proponent is that even without the usual social/environmental arguments, the author still makes a poignant, richly data-assisted projection that the paradigm energy shift from fossil fuel to solar power will be inevitable based on economic rewards and fossil fuel supply. In addition to the economic aspects he gives an overview of the main alternative energy sources.
 Solar Power has moved on ... June 26, 2008
Great book. The problem is this technology requires fossil fuels in silicon raw materials and production. While newer solar thermal power may be better, cutting edge technology from companies like Nanosolar which use printing techniques and lighter thin surfaces for broad commercial use, will likely take lead.
The simple economics and lower capital cost make it like to dominate alternative energy options.
present and future of the PV industry April 7, 2008
This is a great book. It talks about the Photovoltaics industry in a way that avoids traditional cliches. The authors approach the subject from a strictly economic point of view, preaching the inevitability of "the Solar Revolution," and supporting it with a series of logical arguments. Props to the authors.
Good, but a little too basic March 26, 2008
I feel the basic assumptions in the book are reasonable. For example, one key point that he makes is with the issue of peak energy cost and how solar fits in nicely with satisfying this need. This itself will be a key driver for alternative, and specifically solar growth. Peak energy is about 30% of the total power requirement in many nations. Considering that solar currently only contributes around 0.01% of the world's total electricity needs, it is clear that it has a lot of room to grow.
Less convincing his is argument that local production and consumption will reduce distribution costs. I dont think this is a given as there may be large distances between production and consumption. This is after all how the feed in tarrif system is supposed to work. The only way distribution will be reduced significantly is if the bulk of the energy is consumed locally - and this will only take place if there is an efficient mechanism to store the surplus energy locally. Currently, there is none.
What I also found lacking was the derivation of costs (per watt hour or peak watts). He introduces these terms and presents various cost curves, but does not go into the details of how they are determined. In the end, it is all about costs and he should have spent more time on this topic.
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