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Bob Fiske,
You're right that the Scotsman article is weak. Your first link is broken, too.
Your second link asserts that PV panels pay back their energy investment in a few years, but doesn't explain how. I'm meant to assume that this is usable energy captured from a day of average length. I'm going to need a little more information before I can decide anything. A Googling I go.
Bryan
Here's Wiki's statement. The NREL link was clipped, but I can't find it there right now..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaics
Under the EROEI section
" Crystalline silicon PV systems presently have energy pay-back times of 1.5-2 years for South-European locations and 2.7-3.5 years for Middle-European locations. For silicon technology clear prospects for a reduction of energy input exist, and an energy pay-back of 1 year may be possible within a few years. Thin film technologies now have energy pay-back times in the range of 1-1.5 years (S.Europe).[42] With lifetimes of such systems of at least 30 years, the EROEI is in the range of 10 to 30. "