Green Energy Revolution Megathread

[Jacob]

I support Seedy working in a coal mine.

No you don't. You may SAY you support him working in a coal mine, but in terms of practical action you're doing nothing to support him.

[Barrister]

I support Seedy working in a coal mine.

No you don't. You may SAY you support him working in a coal mine, but in terms of practical action you're doing nothing to support him.

*chortle*

[derspiess]

I support Seedy working in a coal mine.

No you don't. You may SAY you support him working in a coal mine, but in terms of practical action you're doing nothing to support him.

I'll write a letter of recommendation then.  WOULD THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY

[CountDeMoney]

I'll need two references, just in case.

[The Minsky Moment]

Yes the Dept of Labor data backs that up as well.  Also, the trend in the coal industry has been greater automation and mining techniques that require much less labor - this would be facilitated by deregulation.   Pushing coal vs. solar makes zero sense in terms of promoting quality job growth, not to mention the other factors.

But as we all know the majority of jobs in green energy are in manufacture and installation.  We seem to be undergoing an installation boom right now.  I don't expect that ratio to be maintained.  Unless carbon extraction drops enormously.

Oh I think there a lot more play left on that trend.   Not to mention once you get a much larger installed base, regular maintenance and upgrades will be more significant

[crazy canuck]

But as we all know the majority of jobs in green energy are in manufacture and installation.  We seem to be undergoing an installation boom right now.  I don't expect that ratio to be maintained.  Unless carbon extraction drops enormously.

Good point.

Yeah, its a good point that the in a couple of generations when all the infrastructure has finally been built out around the world, the infrastructure will again be renewed and or maintained.

[MadImmortalMan]

Yes the Dept of Labor data backs that up as well.  Also, the trend in the coal industry has been greater automation and mining techniques that require much less labor - this would be facilitated by deregulation.   Pushing coal vs. solar makes zero sense in terms of promoting quality job growth, not to mention the other factors.

But as we all know the majority of jobs in green energy are in manufacture and installation.  We seem to be undergoing an installation boom right now.  I don't expect that ratio to be maintained.  Unless carbon extraction drops enormously.

Oh I think there a lot more play left on that trend.   Not to mention once you get a much larger installed base, regular maintenance and upgrades will be more significant

So let's build gigantic solar fields in the Sahara. What could go wrong.

[Tonitrus]

As a sometimes peruser of random locales on Google Earth/Maps, I've seen more and more solar "farms" popping up.  There are some fields around the Salton Sea where you quite literally see what was once a farm field that is now a solar field...all mixed in with what are still farm fields.

Well and good, but also a good way to soak up real estate with a rather boring display of solar panels.

I think Solarcity's (now part of Tesla) idea of pushing the idea of installing solar panels on already existing homes/buildings, thus creating solar "farms" in areas that are already built-up/developed is a very good one.  It just requires a sensible business model.

While the storage issue is difficult to surmount, even just achieving a large amount of passive energy production, and even if it only effectively supplies demand during daytime hours...just that achievement is a huge revolution in energy production and use.

[MadImmortalMan]

I think Solarcity's (now part of Tesla) idea of pushing the idea of installing solar panels on already existing homes/buildings, thus creating solar "farms" in areas that are already built-up/developed is a very good one.  It just requires a sensible business model.

That's a big issue here. Buffet got it essentially destroyed to the point that all the solar companies died or left the state.

[jimmy olsen]

I think Solarcity's (now part of Tesla) idea of pushing the idea of installing solar panels on already existing homes/buildings, thus creating solar "farms" in areas that are already built-up/developed is a very good one.  It just requires a sensible business model.

That's a big issue here. Buffet got it essentially destroyed to the point that all the solar companies died or left the state.

I'm not sure I understand what you're refering to here?

[citizen k]

So let's build gigantic solar fields in the Sahara. What could go wrong.

Deserts are ecosystems too. 

[jimmy olsen]

Yes the Dept of Labor data backs that up as well.  Also, the trend in the coal industry has been greater automation and mining techniques that require much less labor - this would be facilitated by deregulation.   Pushing coal vs. solar makes zero sense in terms of promoting quality job growth, not to mention the other factors.

But as we all know the majority of jobs in green energy are in manufacture and installation.  We seem to be undergoing an installation boom right now.  I don't expect that ratio to be maintained.  Unless carbon extraction drops enormously.

Oh I think there a lot more play left on that trend.   Not to mention once you get a much larger installed base, regular maintenance and upgrades will be more significant

So let's build gigantic solar fields in the Sahara. What could go wrong.

I believe Algeria plans on this. They also intend to lay cables along the bottom of the Med so that they can export the energy to Europe.

[Tonitrus]

I think Solarcity's (now part of Tesla) idea of pushing the idea of installing solar panels on already existing homes/buildings, thus creating solar "farms" in areas that are already built-up/developed is a very good one.  It just requires a sensible business model.

That's a big issue here. Buffet got it essentially destroyed to the point that all the solar companies died or left the state.

I'm not sure I understand what you're refering to here?

Come now Tim, this was a pretty easy Google search...


https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-solar-power-buffett-vs-musk/

[jimmy olsen]

I think Solarcity's (now part of Tesla) idea of pushing the idea of installing solar panels on already existing homes/buildings, thus creating solar "farms" in areas that are already built-up/developed is a very good one.  It just requires a sensible business model.

That's a big issue here. Buffet got it essentially destroyed to the point that all the solar companies died or left the state.

I'm not sure I understand what you're refering to here?

Come now Tim, this was a pretty easy Google search...


https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-solar-power-buffett-vs-musk/

That's bad, but these days you could install a Powerwall 2 battery and just cut yourself off from the grid entirely. Then it doesn't matter what the utility does.

[jimmy olsen]

Morgan Stanely thinks that Tesla's Model 3 will crash the used car market and make all previous models obsolete.

Here's the money quote, but the video is five minutes plus, so I'd recommend watching it.

"Our work on used car value is focused on the technological obsolescence of the 250 million cars on US roads today – $2 trillion worth of cars. Tesla's cars can get better because they can learn," Jonas said. "They put in that equipment so that the vehicle five years from now is much more superhuman and much better than the one that is just learning and watching right now. Our used car thesis is that in a five-year period, we are running scenarios of used car value being off by as much as 50 percent."

https://youtu.be/Jqza-1VnBVE