Ah yes, there are some interesting calculations here - see also thread 5826. If I have understood this correctly, sun yields 1 kW/m² at earth surface at 90° angle. Whether you are in France or in Lapland makes little difference but for the number of sun hours (deduct for limitated sun exposure, such as bad weather). While thermal sun collectors can 'catch' up to 75% of this, photovoltaic (i.e. electricity panels) will give 15-20%. What is interesting about this is that even in a very cold climate far North, you can still get good results from harvesting sun energy.In France, 13 panels give 3000 WhC (maximum limit for a particular).
In 2010, a solar installation cost 17,000.00 euros (~15,500.00 dollars US).
In 2016, the same panels cost 11,000.00 euros.
And bdfd is right in saying that a combination of sun energy and 'puit provençal' (ground-coupled heat exchanger) has a very high potential for providing low-cost energy - even if there may not be a constant ground temperature of 14° in harsher climates, the temperature is still relatively constant and in a (pleasant) mid-range between cold winters and cold summers.
Add to this the renewable energy source found in firewood (for those dark winter nights), and the maths become even more interesting. Environmentally no doubt, but also economically.
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