When are people ever going to START doing something?

[SunSolarPro]

Sometimes people have to be told to eat their vegetables

And then they would tell you "you don't care what I eat" LOL I've actually suggested some of those Facebook friends of mine that they could actually help stop Global Warming by walking or riding their bikes to cover short distances. Someone actually replied "Why do you care? You're not the one paying my gas".


Sad reality.

[SunEagle]

I don't think it is quite that simple. There was an uptick in coal usage a couple years ago, but it is still down from where it was 10 years ago, for instance.

https://www.destatis.de/EN/FactsFigures/EconomicSectors/Energy/Energy.html

I agree the amount of coal being used is down but not Gone. But even with the increase of RE, as long as their nuclear generation is decreasing, coal will be around for a long while.

And while RE continues to grow in the US it could get derailed by local legislation. Look at the new POCO tariffs in NV, it looks like Musk is pulling stakes and will be cutting about 550 SolarCity jobs.

[veritass]

I agree the amount of coal being used is down but not Gone. But even with the increase of RE, as long as their nuclear generation is decreasing, coal will be around for a long while.

And while RE continues to grow in the US it could get derailed by local legislation. Look at the new POCO tariffs in NV, it looks like Musk is pulling stakes and will be cutting about 550 SolarCity jobs.

The Nevada electric company signed an agreement a couple of months ago to buy utility scale energy at 3.9 cents a KWH. Utility scale solar energy will be that cheap without subsides in a couple of years in Nevada. Even an unsubsidized rate of 6 cents a KwH is pretty impressive. This is just the beginning.

[SunEagle]

The Nevada electric company signed an agreement a couple of months ago to buy utility scale energy at 3.9 cents a KWH. Utility scale solar energy will be that cheap without subsides in a couple of years in Nevada. Even an unsubsidized rate of 6 cents a KwH is pretty impressive. This is just the beginning.

The price of electricity will continue to change over the next decade or so. It will go down in some areas and up in others. It will certainly be cheaper for a POCO to generate power from solar on a Utility scale then purchasing it from a home owner which is why Net Metering will continue to go lower and disappear or fixed fees for solar power generators will increase.

That unfortunately works against the justification of installing a system on a home in most areas of the country even if the installed price per watt continues to drop.

[DanKegel]

Community solar - i.e. a near-utility-scale array that sells output to individuals - might end up being attractive, especially where roofs aren't suitable. I keep hearing about it, but haven't seen much of it around here.

[SunEagle]

Community solar - i.e. a near-utility-scale array that sells output to individuals - might end up being attractive, especially where roofs aren't suitable. I keep hearing about it, but haven't seen much of it around here.

I have read about a number of those. I can see the attraction for people who can't install due to where they live. Although some seem like a scam since the cost to purchase X watts or Y kWh seemed high.

[Sunking]

I agree the amount of coal being used is down but not Gone.

The only reason it is down is because for the last 10-15 years utilities are building NG plants and will continue to do so for quite some time.

[veritass]

The only reason it is down is because for the last 10-15 years utilities are building NG plants and will continue to do so for quite some time.

Solar + Wind now generate around 6% of the electricity in the United States vs about .5% 10 years ago.

[SunEagle]

Solar + Wind now generate around 6% of the electricity in the United States vs about .5% 10 years ago.

Yes. There has been an increase of RE in the US. But to predict the increase will go beyond 50% would require the major installation of cheap and efficient energy storage systems which IMO has not been perfected yet.

Unless the people cut their usage dramatically RE is just not dependable enough to provide power 24/7.

[Sunking]

Solar + Wind now generate around 6% of the electricity in the United States vs about .5% 10 years ago.

You either do not know what you are talking about, or lying. Which is it? .

Truth is if you lump all RE sources together excluding Hydro in the USA amounts to 7% of total production. RE sources in order of highest order is 4.4% Wind, 1.7% Biomass (Methane from Sewer Gas and Garbage), 0.4% Geothermal, and 0.4% solar. As can plainly be seen solar contributes nothing, and the SOURCE is indisputable biased toward the Left on the side of RE. Wind and Solar only account for 4.8%, and Wind makes up 84% of that margin. Numbers do not lie, only Green Mafia lies.

What the numbers do say is you get more energy from chit, farts, and garbage than you do solar. Some 400% more than solar.

Now if you want to include hydro as RE then you can say RE generates 13%, but of the RE sources only Hydro and and Wind contribute anything meaningful. The problem with Hydro and Wind like any RE source has to have a conventional power source to replace it in a moments notice. So adding RE is really just an unnecessary expense and a drain on natural resources and the economy. At least Hydro can be somewhat relied upon. But Wind and especially Solar cannot be relied upon.

[veritass]

You either do not know what you are talking about, or lying. Which is it? .

Truth is if you lump all RE sources together excluding Hydro in the USA amounts to 7% of total production. RE sources in order of highest order is 4.4% Wind, 1.7% Biomass (Methane from Sewer Gas and Garbage), 0.4% Geothermal, and 0.4% solar. As can plainly be seen solar contributes nothing, and the SOURCE is indisputable biased toward the Left on the side of RE. Wind and Solar only account for 4.8%, and Wind makes up 84% of that margin. Numbers do not lie, only Green Mafia lies.

What the numbers do say is you get more energy from chit, farts, and garbage than you do solar. Some 400% more than solar.

Now if you want to include hydro as RE then you can say RE generates 13%, but of the RE sources only Hydro and and Wind contribute anything meaningful. The problem with Hydro and Wind like any RE source has to have a conventional power source to replace it in a moments notice. So adding RE is really just an unnecessary expense and a drain on natural resources and the economy. At least Hydro can be somewhat relied upon. But Wind and especially Solar cannot be relied upon.

How hard it is to understand what Solar + Wind equals 6%. Just the facts. Your numbers are biased and old. You state solar has .4% market share but that is a 2014 number that doesn't included residential and commercial solar and doesn't include installations in 2015 (Solar grew 40% in 2015). You would have to either be incredibly stupid or a fossil fuel shill not to see the trend in solar costs and sales.

[SunEagle]

How hard it is to understand what Solar + Wind equals 6%. Just the facts. Your numbers are biased and old. You state solar has .4% market share but that is a 2014 number that doesn't included residential and commercial solar and doesn't include installations in 2015 (Solar grew 40% in 2015). You would have to either be incredibly stupid or a fossil fuel shill not to see the trend in solar costs and sales.

Sounds like you drank the cool aid. You need to chill out and not get so wadded up when people disagree with your predictions of the future.

Oh. I just check the US electric data and the percentage of solar in Oct 2015 rose up to 0.6%.

EIA Statistics.

[veritass]

Sounds like you drank the cool aid. You need to chill out and not get so wadded up when people disagree with your predictions of the future.

Oh. I just check the US electric data and the percentage of solar in Oct 2015 rose up to 0.6%.

EIA Statistics.

EIA data doesn't include residential or commercial solar.

[veritass]

The only reason it is down is because for the last 10-15 years utilities are building NG plants and will continue to do so for quite some time.

This statement is obviously a lie or you are very uniformed. You excluded the increased contribution of solar and wind. Wind and solar combined contributed gained at least 5% market share. You will stop at nothing to discredit solar.

[J.P.M.]

FWIW: Looks like it might be time to deep six this thread too.