Albert Gore, Jr. recently enjoyed being on the Sunday political shows thanks to President Trump having opted out of the Paris Accord on Climate Change. During several of those appearances he declared solar and wind generated power have become "...the cheapest!" This is another lie for which the "warmers" are famous, or notorious. Let us examine the realities:
If you price solar panels you will find a 100 Watt panel, on sale, now sells for $129.98 including hardware to mount it on your roof or your recreational vehicle. The life of these units is variable. The 30 year life claims by many are not really valid as they lose about 1% of their output per year due to cell deterioration from sunlight.
Solar panels produce electricity only 4.5 to six hours a day given the glass protective covers which, like a greenhouse, admit energy when the sun angle is above 45 degrees, which is the case for only six hours per day. Overcast and rain reduce the output up to 50%. The output is a function of the number of clear days in your area. All of this means a much larger system than expected is usually required.
Solar panels produce electricity only 4.5 to six hours a day given the glass protective covers which, like a greenhouse, admit energy when the sun angle is above 45 degrees, which is the case for only six hours per day. Overcast and rain reduce the output up to 50%. The output is a function of the number of clear days in your area. All of this means a much larger system than expected is usually required.
Math analysis says the electricity from these units costs up to 59 cents per kilowatt hour including storage and conversion it to house current. When the batteries and converters are added the cost rises to over $1 per kilowatt hour if you buy the most expensive storage and conversion equipment, but many use auto storage batteries that are cheaper. Bear in mind grid electricity has long been under ten cents, and was only two cents per kilowatt hour, BO, Before Obama, in many areas. Even now it is less than 20 cents everywhere but California where the utilities bought the state legislature and it is up to 32 cents per Kilowatt hour depending on the hours drawn.
Wind power is not much better as it is generated in areas where people do not live as they do not like residing in areas where the wind is blowing all the time. The major problem with wind power has been the initial investment as they require very substantial bases and complicated towers. Full amortization, with interest, produces a net cost greater than solar! The transmission lines lose about 1% per 100 miles, sometimes more, and are usually several hundred line miles away as the paths zig-zag through rights-of-way extensively.
The worst fact of wind power is that it is erratic; not a dependable source and the product cannot be stored so backup systems have to be in place and ready to fill in when the wind stops. The result is much required over-building and expensive periods of down-time. The accounting for wind power is more than enough to outlaw it forever, but it persists because our politics have become wail-driven. Make enough noise an politicians come to life instead of fighting back with facts.
All of these figures have been available for 25 years, but the solar and wind promoters continue saying "free power!" They are consistent with the cry of liberalism of "free everything," via "...tax the rich!" Eventually reality catches up as we are in a world where competition kills the inefficient. We will see the end of much of this including Albert Gore, Junior.
Adrian Vance
Wind power is not much better as it is generated in areas where people do not live as they do not like residing in areas where the wind is blowing all the time. The major problem with wind power has been the initial investment as they require very substantial bases and complicated towers. Full amortization, with interest, produces a net cost greater than solar! The transmission lines lose about 1% per 100 miles, sometimes more, and are usually several hundred line miles away as the paths zig-zag through rights-of-way extensively.
The worst fact of wind power is that it is erratic; not a dependable source and the product cannot be stored so backup systems have to be in place and ready to fill in when the wind stops. The result is much required over-building and expensive periods of down-time. The accounting for wind power is more than enough to outlaw it forever, but it persists because our politics have become wail-driven. Make enough noise an politicians come to life instead of fighting back with facts.
All of these figures have been available for 25 years, but the solar and wind promoters continue saying "free power!" They are consistent with the cry of liberalism of "free everything," via "...tax the rich!" Eventually reality catches up as we are in a world where competition kills the inefficient. We will see the end of much of this including Albert Gore, Junior.
Adrian Vance
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