News:

And we're back!

Main Menu

Utilities Take a Dim View of Solar Energy

Started by jimmy olsen, August 26, 2009, 04:07:34 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

The Brain

Quote from: Valmy on August 27, 2009, 11:44:55 AM
Quote from: The Brain on August 27, 2009, 11:41:40 AM
Sure, be tied to your precious sun. When your sunny buddy quits on you the atom will still be here. Warming you and powering your appliances.

I am a big fan of the nuclear power.  If France can do it anybody should be able to.

It is a government project only recently forced very slightly open by EU rules. Does America want Huge Government?
Women want me. Men want to be with me.

Valmy

Quote from: The Brain on August 27, 2009, 11:50:16 AM
It is a government project only recently forced very slightly open by EU rules. Does America want Huge Government?

We have it so clearly we do.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

KRonn

Quote from: The Brain on August 27, 2009, 11:41:40 AM
Sure, be tied to your precious sun. When your sunny buddy quits on you the atom will still be here. Warming you and powering your appliances.
I'm all for nuclear power. But politically it's a very hard sell, for what ever reasons. Funny that many of the "greens" type people are adamantly opposed to nuclear power, including allowing the waste to be stored anywhere, while other nations can do it quite well.

Iormlund

Quote from: Valmy on August 27, 2009, 10:15:19 AM
Quote from: DGuller on August 27, 2009, 09:59:31 AM
The point is that subsidized competition is neither fair nor constructive.

I agree.  In fact I think that without the subsized nature of oil and coal we would have naturally moved to alternative sources long ago.  Pity we do not live in that world though.

Not really. Wind is still more expensive than fossil, and has technical problems that are far from being solved (although they can be minimized by throwing absurd amounts of money at it).
Solar on the other hand is simply ridiculously expensive.
Biofuel is stupid.
Hydro is only viable as a main source on places with low population and rugged terrain (Iceland, Norway ...).
Geothermal requires certain geologic conditions.


The only promising alternative source is Hot Dry Rock, and it is far from being viable. It might trigger seismic tremors as well.

Valmy

#34
Quote from: Iormlund on August 27, 2009, 01:16:35 PM
Not really. Wind is still more expensive than fossil, and has technical problems that are far from being solved (although they can be minimized by throwing absurd amounts of money at it).
Solar on the other hand is simply ridiculously expensive.

Gosh really?  I had no idea.  I thought the technology was perfect and we were in the process of shifting to full solar and wind as we type.

By the way I do not find 10 cents per KW/H (and constantly coming down as mass production lowers costs) ridiculously expensive...but YMMV
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Barrister

Quote from: Iormlund on August 27, 2009, 01:16:35 PM
Hydro is only viable as a main source on places with low population and rugged terrain (Iceland, Norway ...).

:yeah:
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

Grey Fox

Colonel Caliga is Awesome.

DGuller

Quote from: Valmy on August 27, 2009, 01:20:36 PM
Quote from: Iormlund on August 27, 2009, 01:16:35 PM
Not really. Wind is still more expensive than fossil, and has technical problems that are far from being solved (although they can be minimized by throwing absurd amounts of money at it).
Solar on the other hand is simply ridiculously expensive.

Gosh really?  I had no idea.  I thought the technology was perfect and we were in the process of shifting to full solar and wind as we type.
It's not.

Valmy

Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Iormlund

The 'alternatives will get better eventually' thing is a fine argument for research incentives.
It won't help executives put solar inefficient panels instead of a coal-powered turbine. Huge subsidies are needed for that.


Valmy

Quote from: Iormlund on August 27, 2009, 01:26:54 PM
The 'alternatives will get better eventually' thing is a fine argument for research incentives.
It won't help executives put solar inefficient panels instead of a coal-powered turbine. Huge subsidies are needed for that.

So why then do the governments of the world spend billions every year proping up the fucking fossil fuels?  If they didn't then maybe the cost difference would not be so dramatic.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Valmy

Quote from: DGuller on August 27, 2009, 01:27:34 PM
:unsure: Are you saying that the technology is indeed perfect?

I was being very very sarcastic.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

derspiess

Quote from: DGuller on August 27, 2009, 01:27:34 PM
:unsure: Are you saying that the technology is indeed perfect?

No, but he does think we should subsidize the shit out of unproven solar & wind power technology, while taxing the shit out of fossil fuels.  All of which would do wonders for the economy :D

Personally, I think these alternative energy technologies will be ready for prime-time when the market says they're ready. 
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

Valmy

Quote from: derspiess on August 27, 2009, 01:32:35 PM
No, but he does think we should subsidize the shit out of unproven solar & wind power technology, while taxing the shit out of fossil fuels.  All of which would do wonders for the economy :D

Personally, I think these alternative energy technologies will be ready for prime-time when the market says they're ready. 

WTF?  I actualy said just the opposite.

Um...I said we need to stop proping up the Fossil fuels and having them manage our energy policy for us.  If we weren't fighting massive wars and running our foreign policy to secure FF supplies and so forth then maybe natural supply and demand would do the rest.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."