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THE USELESSNESS OF SOLAR ENERGY
Power Line ^ | DECEMBER 30, 2021 | JOHN HINDERAKER

Posted on 12/31/2021 4:10:30 AM PST by george76

You sometimes see newspaper headlines to the effect that, say, a “50 megawatt solar power plant” is being constructed. But you shouldn’t count on getting anything remotely approaching 50 megawatts of power from such an installation. Energy expert Isaac Orr explains:

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) show that production from solar panels plummets in the winter. The graph below shows the percentage of electricity generated by solar panels in Minnesota compared to their potential output. This percentage is called a capacity factor in electricity-industry lingo.

...

Isaac’s analysis applies specifically to Minnesota, but bear in mind that while northern states get fewer hours of sunlight than southern states in the winter, they get more hours of sunlight in the summer. And note that in the best of times, solar panels don’t produce electricity anywhere near half the time.

Minnesota solar panels are most productive in June and July, when they produce almost 30 percent of their potential output. Unsurprisingly, solar panels produce far less energy in November, December, and January, where production capacity factors are seldom above 10 percent.

That is pathetic. We spend billions of dollars on solar panels and transmission lines, and in winter, when we need energy the most, they work only around ten percent of the time.

Another reason for falling productivity in winter is snow cover. Even a thin layer of snow on panels can lead to significant reductions in electricity generation from solar panels, and as Ralph Jacobson, the founder of IPS Solar, has said in the past, it is too expensive to pay someone to clear snow off the panels.

Process that fact: solar panels are such a lame energy source that when it snows, it isn’t worth it to pay someone–high school kids, probably–to shovel them off.

...

We can see the impact of snowfall on electricity generation in the graph below. In February of 2018, solar panels produced 14.6 percent of their potential output, and in 2020, they generated 17 percent. However, in 2019, solar facilities produced just 6 percent of their potential output, because that year had one of the snowiest Februarys on record.

...

Why in the world would we rely on an energy source to power our grid that may work only six percent of the time? The answer, of course, is that we don’t. The same utilities that charge ratepayers billions to construct solar and wind facilities also charge them billions to build natural gas power plants–plants that actually work. And the overwhelming majority of the time, it is natural gas, not solar or wind, that is providing electricity. The unreliable (i.e., usually useless) “green” sources are just for show, and for fleecing ratepayers.

So far, most voters have been snowed by “green” energy propaganda. Or that is what they tell pollsters, anyway. But the day is coming when voters understand that they have been had by one of the biggest cons in world history.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: bloggers; energy; solar; solarenergy; useless; uselessness
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To: george76

bkmk


21 posted on 12/31/2021 5:09:26 AM PST by mad_as_he$$ (Serpentine...Serpentine...)
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda

As long as no money changed hands, there is no problem.

Your Dad is not competent to sign a contract.

End of story, most likely.

It would cost money for the panel guy to file a lawsuit.

He is in business to make money - NOT to pay lawyer and court fees.


22 posted on 12/31/2021 5:10:10 AM PST by zeestephen
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To: SmokingJoe

Have you been to sub Saharan Africa before? I have and you are not right. As at now anyways.

Many decades ago. Never seen anything to contradict


23 posted on 12/31/2021 5:10:57 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: zeestephen

OK thanks, my stomach is in knots over this as he was scammed a couple of years ago out of a lot of money, and yes thank God he didn’t give them any this time.


24 posted on 12/31/2021 5:12:52 AM PST by GrandJediMasterYoda (As long as Hillary Clinton remains free, the USA will never have equal justice under the law)
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To: george76

The answer is clean burning natural gas from the great states of Louisiana and Texas. lol

So, have any of you guys heard/read about this hydrogen technology, specifically using H2O. The technology agitates (simplified Texas Tawk) water, causing the hydrogen to be released from the water with the byproduct of the process being...oxygen.

I saw a video years ago about a retired radio station owner seeking a treatment/cure for cancer. His cancer.

Anyhow, he marched down the dock behind his home in Florida, filled a test tube with saltwater. He then placed the test tube in a jig between a high frequency signal generator.

When he energized the freq. generator, it beamed through the saltwater, apparently agitating the molecules of hydrogen/oxygen. He then lit the top of the test tube and poof...intense flame burned. Check out the video. I believe there have been several universities who repeated the experiments with greater control/success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8utkoK2DhA


25 posted on 12/31/2021 5:14:06 AM PST by servantboy777
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To: george76

The worst part in our area is that they’re taking up good farmland...now lost forever. Natural gas....and we have plenty here in upstate is the smarter use of our assets.


26 posted on 12/31/2021 5:21:42 AM PST by Sacajaweau ( )
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To: Empire_of_Liberty
Ask T-Bone Pickins.

The tricorder says he's dead, Jim.

27 posted on 12/31/2021 5:24:52 AM PST by NautiNurse (Who will portray Alec Baldwin in the SNL skit? )
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda
Time for power of attorney or some paper that makes you a second signer on anything.

After my dad died, a guy showed up and said mom needed a new chimney....$7000. My sister was ready to sign for her.

When I found out, I called the local utility company and they came out and said her chimney was just fine. Lotta scammers go after old people.

28 posted on 12/31/2021 5:26:17 AM PST by Sacajaweau ( )
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda
The more I think about the solar scam your Dad fell for, the more I worry.

The salesman has your Dad's SS number, his signature, his home address, his phone number, and possibly other identifiers.

Start watching your Dad's credit report for new credit cards, loans, mortgage on the house, everything.

29 posted on 12/31/2021 5:29:28 AM PST by zeestephen
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To: PIF

Well I actually lived in sub Saharan Africa for quite a while, in different countries, never saw anything even close to your contention.


30 posted on 12/31/2021 5:30:15 AM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: george76

Even in MO, I noticed winter solar output was very low. Same thing as getting vitamin D. In winter, you ain’t. We would get some charge between 10-2 at best in winter but it wasn’t near as strong as 10-2 from mid Spring to mid Fall. Of course Summer is the best since the days are longer. Then you could get a good charge from 9-3. Longer if you had panels that track with the sun. Overcast but not rain clouds in summer are better than sunny days in winter.

Sun angle matters and Minnesota is pretty far from the equator.

Then there’s wind. Maybe 10% of the planet is good for wind. There’s a Scottish guy who builds his own turbines and happens to live in a region of Scotland that has good wind. The Scoraig peninsula. He builds them himself because it’s the only way to get a decent ROI.

Water is the best. 24/7/365. Not ocean wave generators.


31 posted on 12/31/2021 5:34:23 AM PST by Pollard (PureBlood -- youtube.com/watch?v=VXm0fkDituE)
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To: george76
THE USELESSNESS OF SOLAR ENERGY

Partner, I think you hit a raw nerve and that is the uselessness of both solar and wind.

Solar energy in the U.S. is so subsidized by the U.S. Taxpayer and I am against any business or folks making big $$$$ off the American Taxpayer. Just look at this Warren Buffett and how he makes his money off of the American Taxpayer.

Every solar company would go bankrupt if you have to get the Solar companies off the Taxpayers fund (Taxes).

The power that comes off the grid should be Oil, gas, coal or Atomic energy.

We can do it safely in all areas.

Also, do not get involved with committees like we did here in Texas and we just found out about this committee last year.

32 posted on 12/31/2021 5:35:43 AM PST by TheConservativeTejano (The Business of America is Business)
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To: clee1
"Planning for a fulltime RV retirement, I have been looking into solar for mobile installations on a Class A/School bus."

Good luck with your nomad retirement. I would love to, but the wife ain't havin' any.

I follow a number of RV channels, and there are a lot of ways to fill your full energy budget, though only a very, very few doing 100% with solar. Will Prowse's channel probably has the best reviews of solar equipment, though not so much RV based any more. "Blue van Dan" is doing a bus build. Lots of others....

33 posted on 12/31/2021 5:36:36 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (Not Responding to Seagull Snark)
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To: TheConservativeTejano

Oil, natural gas, coal, water, or Atomic energy should be used in generating electricity.

34 posted on 12/31/2021 5:37:34 AM PST by TheConservativeTejano (The Business of America is Business)
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To: george76

The “green” virtue signaling has to stop. If Republicans ever regain control, they need to legislate the topic of green energy. States that mandate green electricity should be required to augment high demand needs with only green generated power. It’s ridiculous they can posture as green but in a pinch, consume as much extra fossil electricity as needed. To get a green certification for an EV, the home source of the power should be a hookup billed at green generation pricing. In the wild rechargers should also bill at green generation pricing.


35 posted on 12/31/2021 5:44:07 AM PST by Sgt_Schultze (When your business model depends on slave labor, you're always going to need more slaves)
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To: SmokingJoe

You folks are missing something(again). Solar is sexy-get it? It’s clean like showering before sex. Suburban housewives. Don’t point out mathematical facts to them-they buy into global warming. These soccer moms are led to believe the democrats care more about their kids than the louse they married-enough to take their pants off in front of the Bill Clintons out there. We start out from behind on this one.

The best we can do is advocate ‘all of the above’ while pointing out the truth about solar using whatever cliches these soccer moms can swallow. There are enough ‘simplified facts’ in our favor. Use them.


36 posted on 12/31/2021 5:51:01 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET
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To: george76

As a well-educated person, AND a HAPPY user of residential solar power, with REALISTIC, fact-based expectations in place PRIOR to writing the check ...

I can tell you residential solar power with a battery does exactly what I want it to do:

1. Flat-lines roughly 75% of our electricity costs.
2. Operates as a silent backup generator in the event of a grid failure
3. Runs my 110V circuits every night using no power from the grid. (Battery discharges about 20% at night to run these circuits)
4. Reduces SLIGHTLY the cost of electricity we *do* buy from our EMC.

The solar power hype IS out of control from many sides. I get that. But to dismiss it out of hand is a fool’s errand.

PS, we live in GA and snow cover is not an issue.


37 posted on 12/31/2021 5:53:14 AM PST by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitur: ad ferre non, velit esse sine defensione)
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda

There are elderly abuse laws in every State. Call Adult Protection in your county and start there.


38 posted on 12/31/2021 5:55:13 AM PST by CodeToad (Arm up! They Have!)
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To: george76

Solar electricity sucks as a means of efficient energy production, there is nothing efficient about it. HOWEVER; I installed 12kw of solar on my roof with battery backup. I knew it would not be efficient with close to 10 years of payback time involved. In the fall and spring I produce more electricity than I use and in the summer where we have more hours of sunlight there is a pretty substantial portion of my electricity bill taken care of by my solar cells but I would hate to have to depend on it for all my needs. Some people do but it is a balancing act.

As kind of a prepper I like knowing that my freezers will keep humming no matter what but there is a cost to that security. As far as utilities using money they could be spending on reliable production for solar I think they should not. Solar is neither reliable or efficient.


39 posted on 12/31/2021 6:01:26 AM PST by JAKraig (my religion is at least as good as yours.)
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To: CodeToad

*As a well-educated person, AND a HAPPY user of residential solar power, with REALISTIC, fact-based expectations in place PRIOR to writing the check ...*

Another satisfied customer. So why doesn’t every roof have them? Would a $trillion investment have been better than invading Iraq? Could be but the money’s gone.


40 posted on 12/31/2021 6:02:18 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET
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