SOMETIMES IT MAKES SENSE

But there are terrestrial cases, too, and it is significant that such genuinely successful applications rarely receive any publicity in the contemporary solar propaganda hoax.

Repeater stations receiving telephone conversations by microwaves and beaming them onto the next repeater (visible as high metal towers with parabolic "dishes" facing in opposite directions) are part of microwave lines that often go through terrain where electric power is unavailable and expensive to provide. GTE Lenkurt, a subsidiary of General Telephone & Electronics Corp., has been producing solar powered repeater stations that can significantly cut costs under certain circumstances. Their 700 F 1 repeater is powered by two solar panels, each with 36 photovoltaic cells.

The repeater was first used for a remote Navajo Indian outpost in S.E. Utah in 1977, and saved 75% of the costs that would normally have to be paid, but that is mainly due to the low capacity of the line (36 telephone conversations), so that the repeater consumes only 4 watts. The usual repeater stations carry several TV channels, each of which can be changed to carry up to 2000 telephone conversations.

Note that the solar powered repeater went through research, development and production into commercial operation without subsidies or witch hunts (let alone the good advice of Lovins or Commoner); but note also that it is economical because it taps the sun for a mere 4 watts of electric output power.