Fighting 'Solar Farm' Installation

[TN8Man]

Wife just said Elon has a lot of I.Q. to lose!

Yes, he is smart guy. Growing up in the 60's and 70's smoking pot was very popular. I know several very intelligent people who smoked pot back in the day including scientists and engineers. I never saw a smart person turn dumb from smoking pot.

 

[Grumpycat]

I hate power lines with a passion.
The most picturesque towns are made ugly by them, and I deliberately avoid taking pictures with them.
Bury them. May be more costly up-front, but especially in norcal it's way cheaper in the long run.

Power lines are less efficient underground. There is a field surrounding the wire which earth damps.

 

[Grumpycat]

Most locations do not allow batteries on grid tied systems, just for your information.

Name one. Cite your source.

 

[Grumpycat]

For a state or city to run 100% renewable energy they would need massive solar panel fields, much more than what currently exists and/or massive wind turbine fields. They would also need massive energy storage facilities that could supply the grid load when solar and wind is not producing energy. The massive energy storage facilities large enough to sustain the grid load of a mid to large city currently don't exist.

Actually they do, but there are only a couple. The utility uses excess electrical power to pump water up to a mountain reservoir. Then when power is needed that water is used to drive turbines connected to generators.

All you need is a tall mountain with a reservoir on top.

 

[walhondingMF]

Just imagine...

If individual home solar power would have been the initial source of power for homes in our country, before rivers were dammed, power plants were built, wind turbines raised, large scale solar fields established, or nuclear reactors created. Its just odd to imagine what the country would look like without power lines, pipelines, large stacks, open mines, and unimpeded rivers...

 

[Grumpycat]

Yep, this one picture alone proves that solar energy won't work! However, the truth is the snow will melt quickly, and some systems are starting to incorporate heating elements so your picture is pretty much invalid.

Snow is one of the best known black bodies. Snow is its own worst enemy against melting in the sun. About the only energy it reflects is in our visible light spectrum, absorbs most everything else.

"Blanket of snow" literally helps keep the ground warm.

 

[Grumpycat]

At least with windmills the ground can still be farmed. And the lease can help farmers be more profitable. I am ok with anything that helps farmers!

And not only that but dead birds falling from the sky can fertilize the soil!

 

[Grumpycat]

How much power does it take to mine all the metals needed to make batteries, windmills and solar panels? How much fuel does it take to manufacture them across the oceans, then ship them here and erect them? How about to maintain and eventually replace them?

Your question is myopic. Doesn't matter "how much power". What matters is, "How much does it cost?" The cost in dollars is the only accurate metric of resource consumption. If the cost of production is less than the value of what is produced, then the endeavor will succeed.

 

[MossRoad]

Snow is one of the best known black bodies. Snow is its own worst enemy against melting in the sun. About the only energy it reflects is in our visible light spectrum, absorbs most everything else.

"Blanket of snow" literally helps keep the ground warm.

When snow gets covered in soot from fossil fuel burning, it absorbs more of the sun's energy than clean snow. Just like wearing dark clothing in sunlight.

NASA - Black Soot and Snow: A Warmer Combination

 

[Grumpycat]

Well if the government started regulating your beer out of existence, you would probably be none too happy.

I wonder how good of a fertilizer Bud Light might be? Should be a ready supply, cheap.