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Freezing in the dark. It's what's for supper.
WestlinnDuck
Member Posts: 15,301 
in Tug Tavern
Toss in the fact that solar gets subsidized with a 30% federal energy credit. They also suck at energy production on an overcast day in the northern late fall and winter as the sun is low on the horizon. However, solar is a fraction of the potential energy production if the wind is blowing. But when the wind doesn’t blow, AOC and the rest of the green gaia religionists freaks in 12 years don’t want any natural gas electrical plants, no coal plants and no nuke plants. Freezing in the dark will be a truly religious experience.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/03/the-folly-of-solar-energy.php
The Folly of Solar Energy
The late January brownout in central Minnesota, during a time of Arctic cold, showed that reliance on “green” energy can be life-threatening. Xcel Energy instructed customers to turn thermostats down to 60 degrees and refrain from using hot water. Xcel went so far as to put some customers up in hotels.
Investigation of the brownout has been informative. The principal problem, given that Minnesota has invested massively in wind energy, was that the wind wasn’t blowing. But there was another problem, too, which came out in testimony before the state’s Public Utilities Commission by an Xcel official. My colleague Isaac Orr explains:
During their testimony, Xcel Energy representatives stated that the company’s solar panels only produced 8 to 10 percent of their potential output because of snow cover.
Everyone understands, I suppose, that solar panels can’t produce electricity at night–which, coincidentally, is when we need to turn lights on. It is less well recognized that in the North, solar panels are also more or less useless during the Winter. But, you may ask, can’t they be cleared off and thus made functional?
Xcel Energy posted a profit of $1.1 billion in 2017, and you’re telling me they can’t pay a high-schooler to scrape off their solar panels for a little extra cash?***To me, the fact Xcel didn’t bother to clear the snow off their solar panels suggests they didn’t think it was worth it, from a cost/benefit standpoint.
I suspect that is exactly right. Utilities know that solar energy is a joke. So, why do they lobby for legislation requiring them to build ever more solar farms?
Yet, Xcel wants to build more solar because they get a guaranteed 7.5 percent profit on every dollar they spend on power plants, including solar panels, whether they produce electricity or not.
Some naive observers assume that the fact that utilities lobby to be required to build wind and solar facilities means they must be a good idea. On the contrary: if they were a good idea, utilities wouldn’t have to lobby to be forced to construct them.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/03/the-folly-of-solar-energy.php
The Folly of Solar Energy
The late January brownout in central Minnesota, during a time of Arctic cold, showed that reliance on “green” energy can be life-threatening. Xcel Energy instructed customers to turn thermostats down to 60 degrees and refrain from using hot water. Xcel went so far as to put some customers up in hotels.
Investigation of the brownout has been informative. The principal problem, given that Minnesota has invested massively in wind energy, was that the wind wasn’t blowing. But there was another problem, too, which came out in testimony before the state’s Public Utilities Commission by an Xcel official. My colleague Isaac Orr explains:
During their testimony, Xcel Energy representatives stated that the company’s solar panels only produced 8 to 10 percent of their potential output because of snow cover.
Everyone understands, I suppose, that solar panels can’t produce electricity at night–which, coincidentally, is when we need to turn lights on. It is less well recognized that in the North, solar panels are also more or less useless during the Winter. But, you may ask, can’t they be cleared off and thus made functional?
Xcel Energy posted a profit of $1.1 billion in 2017, and you’re telling me they can’t pay a high-schooler to scrape off their solar panels for a little extra cash?***To me, the fact Xcel didn’t bother to clear the snow off their solar panels suggests they didn’t think it was worth it, from a cost/benefit standpoint.
I suspect that is exactly right. Utilities know that solar energy is a joke. So, why do they lobby for legislation requiring them to build ever more solar farms?
Yet, Xcel wants to build more solar because they get a guaranteed 7.5 percent profit on every dollar they spend on power plants, including solar panels, whether they produce electricity or not.
Some naive observers assume that the fact that utilities lobby to be required to build wind and solar facilities means they must be a good idea. On the contrary: if they were a good idea, utilities wouldn’t have to lobby to be forced to construct them.
Comments
There's some technology coming down the pike for static storage facilities where the batteries are similar to, like, server racks. For a single family home, the racks approximately 10 feet high by maybe 3 feet square. My understanding is that stores about 40 hours of typical use.
She should stop being in charge of whatever she's in charge of.
Also, what will we do with all the horse poop?
That being said, better battery technology is necessary for any of this to work.
http://m.startribune.com/xcel-also-had-natural-gas-transmission-issue-in-colorado/505798472/
It doesn't do jack when the power goes out - cost prohibitive to install the old technology battery backups.
The newer lithium based stuff will be helpful. Still super expensive unless the greenies want to include that in their tax credit package.
Why do you enjoy those investments made by the government. But hate government investment in technology?
I was trying to help you poors.