Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Solar could comprise almost half US power by 2050, govt says
France24 ^ | September 8, 2021

Posted on 09/08/2021 10:37:16 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

New York (AFP) - Solar power could account for nearly half of the United States' electricity supply by the middle of the century, according to a government study released Wednesday.

The report, released by the Department of Energy, said solar could account for much as 40 percent of the power supply by 2035 and 45 percent by 2050, up from its current level of just three percent.

However reaching this level would require the United States to quadruple its annual solar capacity additions, the department said in a statement.

This future also depends on extensive public investments, as well as policy changes to disincentivize carbon-based energy, the department added.

"The study illuminates the fact that solar, our cheapest and fastest-growing source of clean energy, could produce enough electricity to power all of the homes in the US by 2035," Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said.

"Achieving this bright future requires a massive and equitable deployment of renewable energy and strong decarbonization polices –- exactly what is laid out in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and President Biden's Build Back Better agenda."

(Excerpt) Read more at france24.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: blackouts; energy; solar; winter
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-68 last
To: Oldeconomybuyer

What did the US use for light before candles?

Electricity.


61 posted on 09/08/2021 2:07:36 PM PDT by Scrambler Bob (My /s is more true than your /science (or you might mean /seance))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

The report, released by the Department of Energy, said solar could account for much as 40 percent of the power supply by 2035 and 45 percent by 2050, up from its current level of just three percent.
= = =

It looks like if the current power supply is cut to 1/15 of currently available, then solar will be 45% of the total power supply.

That’s one way to do it.


62 posted on 09/08/2021 2:13:50 PM PDT by Scrambler Bob (My /s is more true than your /science (or you might mean /seance))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Another load they are trying to scam us with


63 posted on 09/08/2021 4:46:17 PM PDT by ronnie raygun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wgmalabama
I'm in Alabama Power country back living near Birmingham. They charge a yuge monthly fee if you have solar and put power back onto the grid, only for them to buy your excess power from you at a tiny fraction of the cost they sell power to us.

Thus, I don't put power onto the grid. I have my inverter set to do "zero reporting" or "no report". That means when I have excess power I don't put it onto the grid. My inverter (really the charge controller within the inverter) simply doesn't open the throttle all the way on the power coming from the solar panels if there's nowhere for it to go.

So anything you hear about solar panels paying for themselves by selling power back to the power company -- that doesn't apply to Alabama Power customers. Because I knew that going in I and my solar installer had to choose an inverter that had the optional zero report feature. When I say my solar system will pay for itself in 12 to 13 years, it's all about saving money by paying less of a power bill.

The good news is that when the grid power goes out (which rarely happens so I guess it doesn't hardly matter) my solar power doesn't automatically go out too. People who put power back onto the grid have to have their inverter shut off if the grid goes down. The idea is that linemen fixing downed cables don't want to check the cable for power, confirm it has no power, then start handling the cable only for it be charged again when the sun comes out and my A/C shuts off (meaning I'm not using power so it would go out to the grid). So the feature of a person's solar system shutting off automatically whenever the grid is down is meant to protect the linemen (understandably). Mine isn't set up like that because I don't put power onto the grid anyway. So if the power lines go down I at least have power from my solar system (as long as I've got some sun and/or battery power).

64 posted on 09/08/2021 4:51:57 PM PDT by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: Mygirlsmom

“Yep. No AC for you!!!”

You couldn’t be more wrong. There needs to be made a difference between grid scale solar and individual home installed systems. Especially in sunny areas like Texas,California,Arizona and Nevada.

My location in Texas gets 220+ days of full sun per year. I have 30x 550 watt panels that 4 years ago cost 19 cents per watt and have a 25 year capacity warranty they have in 4+ years lost 2% capacity. The inverters are dual 8000 watt grid synced with stand alone mode that at the time were 20 cents per watt. Yesterday those panels made 193 kilowatt hours of energy.

I have dual 4 ton ground sourced heatpumps one for upstairs one for down. They use 4200 watts each when running with blowers on high. I keep the down stairs at 68 and the up at 70 day time and also 68 at night. My whole house used 81 kWh of energy yesterday which meant my panels sold to the grid 110+ kWh of energy yesterday while keeping my 4500+ sqft property at 70 or under. I have 7 fridges and freezers connected as well. Three deep freezers full to the brim with meats and frozen foods. A large French door in the kitchen, a commercial sized dual door beverage cooler in the mancave and a full sized top freezers fridges upstairs in the second living room and half kitchen area. All run of the panels. At no point even in January have these panels not covered 100% of this structures energy use it was sized to be 100% off grid but since we have a grid tie I sell the access to ERCOT and turn a profit rather than bank the power for night use. Off grid solar is a winning deal people do it every day. These systems are in the 18,000 dollar range that’s small potatoes for 750,000 plus home prices in this area. A tiny portion of a mortgage payment and when the grid went down in February we had power all day long with heat pump heating. I only ran the genrac a couple of hours over night to keep the pool pumps from freezing, and the 7 fridges at temp. The genrac came with the house so it was zero cost. It pairs perfectly with the panels as the bulk of off grid use is during the day with a very small fraction at night should the grid no down again. It’s a 10000 watt gen and is more than capable of standing alone but why pay for fuel when the sun is shining and free to capture.


65 posted on 09/09/2021 6:58:04 AM PDT by JD_UTDallas ("Veni Vidi Vici" )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Tell It Right

You need to move to Texas , here if you have an LLC with a state TIN you have access to sell solar power to ERCOTs whole sale power pool at the 15 minute market rate. The minimum tie in is 15,000 watts.


66 posted on 09/09/2021 7:00:52 AM PDT by JD_UTDallas ("Veni Vidi Vici" )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

No! Joe just told us this is the case by 2020.


67 posted on 09/09/2021 7:01:54 AM PDT by jughandle (Big words anger me, keep talking. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JD_UTDallas
Texas is one of the few places I'd move to. The catch is, finding a place in Texas with as low a cost of living as I have here in Alabama, while at the same time having a high enough demand for my IT skills so I can make nice money. I get both of those here in Alabama.

Austin is a good place for the tech industry, but horrible on the budget. Plus, there's all that SJW stuff that permeates Austin worse than the stink of the Longhorns losing to Iowa State.

68 posted on 09/09/2021 7:16:18 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-68 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson