I learnt the hard way that you have to design solar panel installations with ease of cleaning and maintenance in mind. Any other way is disastrous.
I think it is interesting that a lot of PV development has been undertaken in countries where you need a decent slope on the panel (ie. well away from the equator), and where there is also reasonable rainfall to help wash the panels. Therefore the build-up of dust and dirt on panels can be underplayed in the literature.
From a few years ago...
I think the blanket "25 year life" statement is a bit misleading.
Meyer Burger the Swiss manufacturer gives you a 30 years 90% power guarantee.
Therefore the build-up of dust and dirt on panels can be underplayed in the literature.
This may be a problem with rooftop installations. But the large power company 100 to 500 MW installations I have read about have robotic equipment that periodically cleans off the panels. In arid places it uses minimal water. The big solar users such as power companies have addressed this issue.
Large power company "utility scale" solar installations are by far the cheapest per megawatt of capacity. They are usually installed next to existing combustion generators, where there are already large grid connections. Utility scale costs run from $24 to $96/MWh. Rooftop is from $117 to $282. Unsubsidized wind or utility scale solar are now cheaper than depreciated nukes or coal, and way cheaper than new nukes or coal. Which spells the end of them.
See:
Large power company "utility scale" solar installations are by far the cheapest per megawatt of capacity.
Unfortunately, in the UK, it is still a bit of a bugger's muddle, to use the vernacular.
Meanwhile we are having to pay other countries to take our surplus juice...
But the large power company 100 to 500 MW installations I have read about have robotic equipment that periodically cleans off the panels.
This adds a little to the energy overhead, needless to say. Here is an ad for a waterless one. It looks like it needs a human operator. I have seen others that are autonomous.
Unsubsidized wind or utility scale solar are now cheaper than depreciated nukes or coal, and way cheaper than new nukes or coal. Which spells the end of them.
As you see in Lazard (first table), gas peaking is also more expensive than wind or solar, at $115 to $221. Unlike nukes or coal, it has a future. It is still needed. It is dispatchable so it can make up for times when there is not much wind, or not much sunlight (such as nighttime).
Gas combined cycle, which is turned on pretty much all day long, is cost competitive at $39 to $101.
Things like wind or solar, which cannot be generated on demand, are now the cheapest source of electricity, in some circumstances. They would not be the cheapest if you tried to meet all demand with them. I don't think anyone would do that. After you built up a certain level of solar capacity it becomes uneconomical. It would be wasted, unless it was paired with battery storage. As you see in Lazard, solar PV + storage is a more expensive than solar alone. It is $46 compared to $24.
I think in most places in the U.S., solar + gas peaking is cheaper than solar + storage, but that is probably changing, because the cost of storage is falling rapidly.
Meanwhile we are having to pay other countries to take our surplus juice...
It says:
National Grid ESO has reportedly paid up to £550/MWh to dump excess power into neighbouring countries
Yikes! That is a lot of money!! That is about 10 times more than it costs to generate a megawatt hour.
It says:
“Electricity system operators in these countries need to investigate how to create curtailment products to encourage consumers to stop generation during these periods, otherwise the SOs will be spending a lot of money on balancing the markets on these kind of days. . . ."
That seems like a dumb idea. Better to build storage, or turn off the power company generators. I realize the latter is difficult. They were not designed to be dispatchable. Technology that works well when designed sometimes becomes obsolete in ways we did not predict, and no longer works well. We think some machines cannot become obsolete, but they do. Software, for example, should last forever, because it always works the same way. Yet as every programmer knows, it "wears out" over time the same way a physical machine does, because the computers, the operating systems, and customer demands always change over time.
this might be a solution to having to dispose of solar panels.
this might be a solution to having to dispose of solar panels.
When you have millions of tons of solid waste which includes expensive materials, someone usually finds a way to recycle it.
I do not usually go for this kind of prediction about technology, based on economics alone. People who know little about a technology often predict things like this: "customers want X, and X would be worth a lot of money, so someone will develop X." You can't say that unless you have some idea what technical problems are likely to come up trying to make X.
The opposite often happens. Technology leads, and market forces follow. People develop something more easily than anyone anticipated, and it turns out there is a market for it. The early history of microcomputers was an example of this. Ted Hoff invented the first microprocessor sort of by accident for the Japanese "Busicom" electronic calculator. I think it gradually dawned on them it had wider applications and could be used for a general purpose computer. Quote:
"Our initial goal was never to make a microprocessor, only to solve this particular customer's problem, this calculator design problem. But there were several aspects of the design that became more evident as it was pursued. One was, being more general purpose and faster than the original design, we figured it might be useful for a broader range of applications than just the calculator family. Dr. Federico Faggin was hired around in April of 1970 and given the responsibility for chip circuit design and layout, to turn this architecture into a physical transistor layout. He developed a number of techniques to take advantage of Intel's new silicon gate metal oxide silicon (MOS) process and even found ways to improve performance using techniques that others felt impossible to do with silicon gate. He had working parts by around January of 1971."
| New 621-mile range EV battery charges in six minutes and works in any weather |
Greater Bay Technology, a Chinese startup, has developed the Phoenix cell, an electric vehicle (EV) battery that boasts a range of 621 miles (1,000 km) on a single charge. This innovative battery utilizes superconducting materials and thermal management technology, allowing it to quickly heat from freezing temperatures to its optimal operating range in just five minutes. Once at the right temperature, the battery can be rapidly charged, reaching full capacity in only six minutes. Greater Bay Technology, founded by automotive industry veterans, is set to deploy the Phoenix cell in their own EV models, such as GAC's Aion, as well as collaborate with other carmakers. This breakthrough in EV battery technology signifies a significant step toward making EVs more practical and convenient for everyday use. |
Another article about green hype not meeting expectations. This time offshore wind:
Green energy disaster in the UK should be an awful warning to Americans (telegraph.co.uk)
Another article about green hype not meeting expectations.
Big oil is busy as usual. Opec just failed once again...
Had forgot to comment on this. It just goes to show how any strong economic incentive drives technology adoption. In this case the driving force is the market for narcotics. I can tell you the greatest advances in indoor Hydroponic mass production are driven by the market of marihuana.
One of the greatest hinders of economic development in my country is that access to capital is very restricted. You can only get a loan if you have collateral, and the amount you get is capped to 30% of your assets value. So, many crop producers in my local area have found money laundering for cocaine dealers to be the only real choice to grow their business.
Producers that not get funded in this unorthodox way, struggle as they face the unfair competition from producers that need only to keep the cash flowing.
Yes Alan Smith , it is really sad.
new type of battery made in Germany, but the German government ignores it, hence the battery will most likely be mass produced in the US.🤔
Organic SolidFlow Battery Technology by CMBlu AG Germany
Another negative take on Solar and EVs.
Another negative take on Solar and EVs.
To many idiots live on this planet. I never watch big oil sponsored videos. Of course UK houses miss isolation what would give a factor 5 of energy reduction. So there are always better methods.
Colchester, the town in the video linked above is on my doorstep. My town council also has an environmental strategy. Buy the Mayor a Tesla. That really is it.
To many idiots live on this planet. I never watch big oil sponsored videos. Of course UK houses miss isolation what would give a factor 5 of energy reduction. So there are always better methods.
The concerns raised by this lady are all valid, but all are also resolvable. In that sense this is not against the technologies but against the push for it no matter what. I think this is positive for LENR because it makes nuclear energy preferable in the eye of the public.
Double dipping
Some states consider taxing by the mile rather than gallon as electric vehicles become more popular
Electric car sales in the United States rose from 0.1% in 2011 to 4.6% in 2021
Understanding Taxes and Fees on Your Florida Electricity Bill
