Green and red uses of solar energy

David Faiman

Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics, The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research and Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University.

The colloquium will discuss a number of widely held misconceptions regarding the extent to which supposedly "green" actions, both at the individual and governmental levels can lead to a cleaner environment. A few examples are: government subsidies for PV systems; the potential contribution of roof-top or building-integrated PV systems; the use of low-power light bulbs; and several others. After attacking many of our "sacred cows" some concrete suggestions will be presented for actions that could significantly improve the environment.