Up And Coming Commercial Solar Power

Discussion in 'Energy & Fuel' started by Frank Sanoica, Jun 15, 2017.

  1. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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  2. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I don't see that happening.
     
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  3. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Ken Anderson
    Why not?

    I ask primarily to learn whether you possess info similar to that which a friend and former neighbor in MO presented after visiting us last month. The "proof" he presented was ludicrous, claiming that solar power production 1) required many times more employees than conventional fossil fuel plants, and 2) was installed by taxpayer money by the govt. He implied that all those excess employees were mandated by govt., as evidence of their "jobs creation". In reality, solar requires the MOST MINIMAL number of employees at an installation. Nothing mechanical (other than aiming the cells at the right place in the sky, computer-controlled), no moving parts or rotating equipment or machinery, few building structures, standardized power transmission lines supported by standard support structures, which, once constructed, require very minimal maintenance inspection.

    If his contentions of govt. intervention are true, I remain sickened to think that a brand-new opening existing which greatly magnifies the capability of the power grid, might be besmirched by govt. boon-doggling. I know that's possible. I also know that powerful incentives are exercised from outside the govt which power the "law-makers" in Congress.

    Perhaps what America needs desperately is a Congress containing only Robots and Computers, those lacking the frailties of human gumption.

    Frank
     
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  4. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    So far, neither of these technologies have been implemented as self-sufficient industries, but have rather depended upon government (taxpayer) largesse. For example, Maine - and I am sure other states - requires that a certain percentage of the state's power supply come from wind or solar power, so everyone's electrical costs go up in order to cater to this pseudo industry, which also receives far more tax breaks than traditional coal or hydro power. Remove the mandates and the tax breaks, and these "industries" will go belly up.

    Maine has traditionally depended upon hydroelectric power, through dams on our several rivers. Although hydroelectric power is also renewable, they have been removing dams in order to artificially inflate the importance of wind power. Being Maine, we don't have much in the way of solar power, but the wind turbines are ruining many of our best mountain views, while inflating our electric costs.
     
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  5. Harry Havens

    Harry Havens Veteran Member
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    Seems like a good place to drop this article/report. A LOT has been made that China's Coal consumption has nosedived since 2014. However, the author's contention is that 2017 is seeing a reversal in China's coal consumption. So the graphs reflect that contention. We won't know accuracy until next year.

    However, it does seem likely that global energy demands will increase through 2050. Can a solar/wind industry infrastructure develop fast enough to meet that increased demand? I doubt it in the short term. Therefore increases in energy demand will still rely on the old standbys until solar/wind is capable.
     
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  6. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    While I do agree that we need to keep using the power sources that we have right now, I do think that changing over to solar or wind power when it is possible is a good idea. Solar power is always going to be there (at least as long as humans live on this earth), and so is the wind. I think that hydro-electric is renewable, and they have made the fish ladders on most dams, so it probably has minimum impact on nature.
    Sure, some birds fly into the wind generators; but there are always lots of creatures who electrocute themself on power lines ; and I don't think that this is any reason not to develop the wind power in places where it is feasible.
    We have probably all read the stories about someone who has developed a car engine that gets fantastic gas mileage, but has been bought out and never makes it to the public. I think that probably the huge conglomerates that form the coal/oil industries are also fighting to keep us from developing solar power, since that poses a radical threat to them.
    I have said before, I really like the Tesla automobile, and I think that Elon Musk has an awesome idea with his building of a line of solar-powered charging stations all over this nation. A person with a battery powered vehicle can now drive from coast to coast and never use a drop of gas to do it.
    The charging stations use solar power to produce the energy to charge the batteries; so they can be placed anywhere, and not need electrical power to function.
    I think that I read that Musk is also working on solar roof panels for home use, as well as businesses. Just this would seriously cut down our consumption of fuel and electricity.

    Here is a map showing the Tesla charging stations in the US. Any hybrid/electric vehicle can charge up at one of these stations. Tesla cars charge free, others pay a charging fee, which is stil cheaper than buying fuel.
    IMG_0620.JPG
     
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    Last edited: Jun 22, 2017
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  7. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    Harnessing the natural resources that we have been given to produce power, etc. in my opinion is the best route to go and the least damaging to our environment.

    Just as the drug companies don't want us to use herbs and natural healing things to heal our bodies...the ones controlling our electricity, etc. don't want us to use natural resources for these things either. They would stand to lose a lot of money and control over us if this happened.
     
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  8. Kalvin Mitnic

    Kalvin Mitnic Veteran Member
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    I needed a new roof and explored adding solar panels. In no way or means were they cost effective in my case.
     
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  9. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Kalvin Mitnic
    My own personal interest lies not with individual residential renewable energy, but rather with large, commercially-competitive installations, especially Solar (as I am not in favor of Wind-power). Once installed and operating, a Solid-State Solar Power Plant produces Electrical Energy directly from Sunlight with no intermediate steps such as steam-production, then conversion from that energy source to rotating machinery energy, the turbine-driven electric generator. True, this latter scheme of producing steam from sunlight heating IS being used commercially, a fact I find surprising, and highly regrettable, due to the environmental effects.
    "In September 2016, federal biologists said about 6,000 birds die from collisions or immolation annually while chasing flying insects around the facility’s towers" See Ivanpah Solar Power Facility; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivanpah_Solar_Power_Facility

    An even more regrettable situation exists due to governmental interference via regulation: Silicon Solar Power Plants eliminate a great portion of the payroll associated with conventionally-fired power generating stations, since they are basically fixed installations which simply sit there absorbing sunlight, mostly unattended. Thus, in it's ever-vote-seeking emphasis, govt has ruled these plants MUST employ as many people as conventional power plants! No idea what all that extra help does, or if it's even physically present at the plants. It may even be "artificial" payroll, simply used to generate tax revenue for govt- Fed Social Security Tax, Federal Unemployment Tax, etc.
    Frank
    EDIT: Note the unearthly glow surrounding the tower as an inverted cone, reaching down to ground level. It is within this zone that birds, insects, and whatever other kinds of living things entering it are instantly incinerated. Objects entering the concentrated "Sun-flux" are heated to in excess of 1000 degrees F.

    [​IMG]
    Solar towers of the Ivanpah facility, the world's largest solar thermal power station in the Mojave Desert, southeastern California
     
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    Last edited: Jul 18, 2017

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