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re: How solar power could slay the fossil fuel empire by 2030
Posted on 6/18/15 at 12:49 pm to Patrick_Bateman
Posted on 6/18/15 at 12:49 pm to Patrick_Bateman
0
Posted on 6/18/15 at 1:02 pm to Clames
quote:
Can say 93% of the energy is provided by solar cells (farms are not terribly demanding of electricity anyways) but that has nothing to do with efficiency.
Ok. Not talking about the power cell's efficiency. I thought I corrected myself by stating the farm was getting 93% of its power usage from solar energy. Also, I should clarify that dairy farms are one type of farm where solar energy is used and they do have a lot of power demands.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 1:31 pm to Placebeaux
As someone that works with the coal industry, certain markets have suffered due to harsh EPA and Government regulation, but overseas demand from Germany and China for WV and KY coal is a monster with an insatiable appetite.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 1:33 pm to Placebeaux
quote:
Whats going to make solar possible in the commercial market and the residential is the storage tech that is coming out. New batteries can be drawn down to 0% where as current batteries can only go to 40%. New batteries can also recharge at a much faster rate and last longer.
Right now conventional energy production is "on demand" so plants are putting out more than what is being used and the excess goes to waste. You incorporate huge batteries to store the excess and the efficiency of the old power plant goes way up.
This. From an efficiency standpoint, there has been exponential growth. They are generating more and more power with a much smaller footprint.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 1:34 pm to CoachDon
quote:
Germany
I find that strange considering 50% of Germany is powered by solar. They must really be trying to rid their dependency on Russian gas.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 1:53 pm to Placebeaux
Posted on 6/18/15 at 1:56 pm to Placebeaux
The Europeans have made huge investments in renewables and they are warning us not to make the same mistake.
Coal is still by far the cheapest way to produce electricity in most areas of the country. The only way natural gas gets there is if the price falls to around $2/MMBtu. But at that price supply begins to shut down.
Solar, even with huge subsidies, isn't even close right now. Unless the storage technology makes huge leaps it will not become a viable alternative.
Coal is still by far the cheapest way to produce electricity in most areas of the country. The only way natural gas gets there is if the price falls to around $2/MMBtu. But at that price supply begins to shut down.
Solar, even with huge subsidies, isn't even close right now. Unless the storage technology makes huge leaps it will not become a viable alternative.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 1:57 pm to stevengtiger
quote:
And now for the first time ever, the country has succeeded at generating over 50 percent of its electricity from solar. On Monday June 9, which was a national holiday in Germany, solar power production peaked at 23.1 GW, which equaled 50.6 percent of total electricity demand.
It can be done
quote:
Germany has encouraged individuals to install solar panels on rooftops rather than building huge solar farms. Ninety percent of solar panels in Germany are located on individuals' roofs.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 1:59 pm to Placebeaux
quote:
I find that strange considering 50% of Germany is powered by solar.
Uh... no.
They reached a record on 1 day meeting 50% of their demands.
They have renewable at about 30% of their total, with solar being roughly 1/6 to 1/5 of that (or 5 to 6 percent of total). They're big on wind and biomass - combining for about 70% of their renewables (or about 21% of total), and solar is just slightly ahead of their hydroelectric (both about 4 to 6 percent of their total). Fossils and nuke make up 70% of their energy production.
Bloomberg article
Now they did reach a benchmark last year when renewables (total) exceeded brown coal.
But, Germany is never going to be ideal for solar.
This post was edited on 6/18/15 at 2:03 pm
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:00 pm to Placebeaux
quote:
On Monday June 9, which was a national holiday in Germany, solar power production peaked at 23.1 GW, which equaled 50.6 percent of total electricity demand.
That was on a single, ideal, late Spring day.
Life doesn't consist of all days like that.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:01 pm to Placebeaux
quote:
Solar power itself is a good thing, but Germany’s pro-renewables policy has been a disaster. It has the absurd distinction of completing the trifecta of bad energy policy:
Bad for consumers
Bad for producers
Bad for the environment (yes, really; I’ll explain)
Pretty much the only people who benefit are affluent home-owners and solar panel installation companies. A rising tide of opposition and resentment is growing among the German press and public.
Forbes Article
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:03 pm to Placebeaux
It reads that the power prodcued on a given day met 50% of the total demand. That does not mean that Germany powers 50% of its ecomony with solar. Your link even says their goal is to have 35% of thier power solar by 2020.
ETA: The goal to have 35% by 2020 will be extremely hard as well. It will take years, like a generation, to switch thier coal industry to solar.
ETA: The goal to have 35% by 2020 will be extremely hard as well. It will take years, like a generation, to switch thier coal industry to solar.
This post was edited on 6/18/15 at 2:06 pm
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:11 pm to Placebeaux
Their residential energy rates in Germany are $0.34/Kwh
The US average runs around $0.11
Are we willing to triple our electric bill? Poor people will die - really, no hyperbole.
The US average runs around $0.11
Are we willing to triple our electric bill? Poor people will die - really, no hyperbole.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:25 pm to Bob Sacamano
quote:
the problem with his line of thought is oil, gas and utilities are buying up solar as investments.
Exxon, Shell, BP, etc. are buying patents and companies across the energy spectrum. If oil isn't the preferred fuel in 50 years (more reasonable), it will be something else these companies own.
Just like big tobacco buying up all the marijuana patents and companies these days. They aren't dumb.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:33 pm to Placebeaux
They need to figure out how to cheaply make plastic from something else, as well for this to really happen.
This post was edited on 6/18/15 at 2:34 pm
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:33 pm to TheCaterpillar
Fracking or hydraulic fracturing growing super fast. With the EPA clearing the fracking process as safe to ground water etc., it's getting ready to explode.
Read up on it, it is extremely interesting.
Read up on it, it is extremely interesting.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:38 pm to Aux Arc
quote:
Are we willing to triple our electric bill? Poor people will die - really, no hyperbole
The guy is saying that solar will be cheaper than fossil fuels by 2030, meaning the price of energy isn't going to be more expensive.
Solar also allows you to spread the sources out more and to have very localized energy farms, mitigating large outages.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:44 pm to SoDakHawk
quote:
Also, I should clarify that dairy farms are one type of farm where solar energy is used and they do have a lot of power demands.
Their demands are low by most industrial standards with fairly simple equipment. They aren't producing the kinds of transients even a modest factory would make. That's fine for solar power cells that make low and steady voltage/current.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:51 pm to Asgard Device
Plastic, rubber, most solvents, pharmaceuticals, roads, roofs, shingles, building materials, etc. All come from crude oil.
I don't think the average Joe citizen realizes this. It's not just gas and motor oil.
I don't think the average Joe citizen realizes this. It's not just gas and motor oil.
Posted on 6/18/15 at 2:55 pm to RealityTiger
About 75% of crude is for used for fuel.
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