Fighting 'Solar Farm' Installation

[KilroyJC]

We are State Capitalists.

Facebook did not build in Huntsville without government concessions.
Toyota did not build in Huntsville without government concessions.
Polaris did not build in Huntsville without government concessions.

Tesla did not take over an abandoned GM-Toyota automobile factory in Fremont CA without government concessions.

The government is too big when it is in the position to make such concessions.

 

[KilroyJC]

Such memes are created by people who can not balance their checkbook.

They skip over simple realities and assume a PV panel with 20 year performance warranty will be dead unusable 20 years and 1 day later. The fact is while it might have been a 240W panel and is only producing 200W, that it is still producing 200W and the only reason to replace it is to install a new higher output panel. Leave it alone, it costs nothing and is generating power.

But lets say there is now a 6 million tons/year supply of used solar panels? As Elon Musk said about used lithium batteries, "There is no richer source of raw materials." Used solar panels are about 1000 times richer in the interesting stuff than ore mined from the ground. Those darn Capitalists will step in and make a profit from used PV panels! Assuming we have any resemblance of a Capitalist Economy in 2050.

I did mention that materials are recyclable, somewhere above.

but how much energy-and what energy source will be used- to recycle those materials? And where will said recycling be performed?

 

[KilroyJC]

You had me up until that statement.

Rare Earths are not rare but are simply named that to fool the gullible. The USA has more than enough known reserves, plus unknown reserves are found every day. The problem is our government will not allow these resources to be used no matter we can mine and refine these "Rare" Earths as clean as we do anything else. And certainly cleaner than anyone else.

EV batteries and motors do not consume Rare Earths. No more so than the 12V starter battery in your ICE consumes lead. At End Of Life the used item is a precious source for recycling.

Proportionally They are rare compared to “common” materials, but part of what makes them rare is the concentration in ores (how much is extractable per ton?) and how complicated the process for extraction/refining is.

But yea - the government just loves putting things off limits so we are dependent on foreign sources that generally don’t like us…

 

[KilroyJC]

You had me up until that statement.

Rare Earths are not rare but are simply named that to fool the gullible. The USA has more than enough known reserves, plus unknown reserves are found every day. The problem is our government will not allow these resources to be used no matter we can mine and refine these "Rare" Earths as clean as we do anything else. And certainly cleaner than anyone else.

EV batteries and motors do not consume Rare Earths. No more so than the 12V starter battery in your ICE consumes lead. At End Of Life the used item is a precious source for recycling.

Isn’t lithium a “rare earth” -derived metal?

And we don’t produce any lead anymore, either.

And probably never will, since the pumps were shut off and the shafts were allowed to flood…

 

[KilroyJC]

Such memes are created by people who can not balance their checkbook.

They skip over simple realities and assume a PV panel with 20 year performance warranty will be dead unusable 20 years and 1 day later. The fact is while it might have been a 240W panel and is only producing 200W, that it is still producing 200W and the only reason to replace it is to install a new higher output panel. Leave it alone, it costs nothing and is generating power.

But lets say there is now a 6 million tons/year supply of used solar panels? As Elon Musk said about used lithium batteries, "There is no richer source of raw materials." Used solar panels are about 1000 times richer in the interesting stuff than ore mined from the ground. Those darn Capitalists will step in and make a profit from used PV panels! Assuming we have any resemblance of a Capitalist Economy in 2050.

So, how do you run an EV tractor for 24hrs for two weeks when harvest hast to come in? I know that drivers hot-swap in motion, refueling can be done in motion, but how can you do that with EV? And what are you charging them with?

 

[KilroyJC]

We are State Capitalists.

Facebook did not build in Huntsville without government concessions.
Toyota did not build in Huntsville without government concessions.
Polaris did not build in Huntsville without government concessions.

Tesla did not take over an abandoned GM-Toyota automobile factory in Fremont CA without government concessions.

There is another name for that system. . . Government control of private business. . .

One word, seven letters. . .

 

[KilroyJC]

I see where it's Fake News. Many people working in the agriculture industry shared the post, convinced that John Deere was going to force farmers to go electric.Feb 24, 2023.

Every question asked about electric tractors in that post is a valid question, though.

 

[KilroyJC]

I’ve never claimed eliminate was an option.
Reductions in local pollution would be a great benefit for folks like me living in coal/lignite/NG burning country. Wish we had more nuk plants here.

Pretty amazing, way out in the country and the air quality here isn’t great due to the ‘clean fossil fuel’ plants we have here in Tx.

Selfishly, I would choose a ratted out mining diesel machine in some foreign mine over air pollution here in the sticks. Never claimed to have a desire to save the world from itself. I don’t have an opinion on the climate change debate. I do have an opinion on localized pollution.

Selfishly, I would prefer to see American energy jobs produce American hydrocarbons and lower feedstock/production/transportation costs and not send all that overseas to people who do not like us.

 

[walhondingMF]

It would of decreased USA need to import oil from South American countries where irresponsible means are used.......whereas Canada is a much cleaner responsible provider and is a neighbor and friend that billions of dollars of trade are consistently counted on between both our countries.

The oil is not sold to or used by America. It is simply refined in american refineries. It is being used in China.

 

[walhondingMF]

Increasing the amount of product on a Market reduces prices.

The oil is still making it to the destination. I'm not seeing very good gas prices right now.