Huge Solar Fail

[Manonthestreet]

After already receiving a controversial $1.6 billion construction loan from U.S. taxpayers, the wealthy investors of a California solar power plant now want a $539 million federal grant to pay off their federal loan. World s largest solar plant applying for federal grant to pay off federal loan Fox News Only producing qtr of advertised power.....ooooppps

 

[Mr. H.]

This at a time when the EPA is shuttering coal power plants across the country.
Great strategy, numbnuts prez. Duuuh huuuh...

 

[Manonthestreet]

If it doesnt work in the desert exactly where will it work....

 

[Old Rocks]

One project not doing so good, but look at these.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/b...-win-on-price-vs-conventional-fuels.html?_r=0

In Texas, Austin Energy signed a deal this spring for 20 years of output from a solar farm at less than 5 cents a kilowatt-hour. In September, the Grand River Dam Authority in Oklahoma announced its approval of a new agreement to buy power from a new wind farm expected to be completed next year. Grand River estimated the deal would save its customers roughly $50 million from the project.

And, also in Oklahoma, American Electric Power ended up tripling the amount of wind power it had originally sought after seeing how low the bids came in last year.

“Wind was on sale — it was a Blue Light Special,” said Jay Godfrey, managing director of renewable energy for the company. He noted that Oklahoma, unlike many states, did not require utilities to buy power from renewable sources.

“We were doing it because it made sense for our ratepayers,” he said.

According to a study by the investment banking firm Lazard, the cost of utility-scale solar energy is as low as 5.6 cents a kilowatt-hour, and wind is as low as 1.4 cents. In comparison, natural gas comes at 6.1 cents a kilowatt-hour on the low end and coal at 6.6 cents. Without subsidies, the firm’s analysis shows, solar costs about 7.2 cents a kilowatt-hour at the low end, with wind at 3.7 cents.

“It is really quite notable, when compared to where we were just five years ago, to see the decline in the cost of these technologies,” said Jonathan Mir, a managing director at Lazard, which has been comparing the economics of power generation technologies since 2008.

 

[Treeshepherd]

If it doesnt work in the desert exactly where will it work....

Last weekend in Santa Cruz I helped my friend install 16 panels on his roof. I guess you could call Santa Cruz a coastal desert. Total capacity at noon on a sunny day will be about 3.1 kilowatts.

He brought me in to be a strong back and a weak mind. But, I learned quite a bit. It's almost plug and play. The connections are designed to snap together. Hooked it up to the Romex and down to the fuse box.

It took a few years of talking, and $10,000. But now he's free. He has purchased his freedom. He makes his own power.

Gigantic stimulus-program solar projects out in the desert are not an appropriate application of solar. Where the interests of progtards and Reptards meet is on the homeowner rooftop. It's up on those composite shingles.

The power companies want to keep sending you a bill every month, whether they're selling alternative energy or coal. The future is in distributed power and the grid equivalent of a mesh network where the excess power you generate flows to your most immediate neighbor in need. Harmonious anarchy.

That's what we're setting up here in California. Solar panels are contagious.

 

[Manonthestreet]

No way you are putting up an array on a house that will power it in full for ten grand. I follow the prices here, waiting for the ever promised " its going to be cheaper ...." blah blah blah.......try 20 grand ya might be close.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Classic Progressive envirniomental economics: Public losses, private gains

 

[Treeshepherd]

No way you are putting up an array on a house that will power it in full for ten grand. I follow the prices here, waiting for the ever promised " its going to be cheaper ...." blah blah blah.......try 20 grand ya might be close.

He bought 16 LG panels from Korea at $300 a pop. That's $4800. Then we had 16 micro inverters- that's about $2500. Some trunk cable, 30 feet of Romex, an $80 fuse. Permitting. Yeah, he came out at $10,000 for 3.1 kW. He paid me in beer and weed to help install it.

 

[Old Rocks]

No way you are putting up an array on a house that will power it in full for ten grand. I follow the prices here, waiting for the ever promised " its going to be cheaper ...." blah blah blah.......try 20 grand ya might be close.

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Really?

 

[Old Rocks]

Best Solar Panels Wholesale Direct

Wholesale Solar Panels by Manufacturer PVPower.com

Just two sites on the net that offer solar for a lot less than the price you quoted.

 

[Treeshepherd]

My buddy on last weekend's project has no batteries. He's tied into the grid. Battery storage will cost you extra.

Now, I know a lot of people up in Humboldt who are completely off the grid. They run integrated systems comprised of solar panels, wind generators and Pelton wheels. They have deep cell motor home batteries for storage, and gas generators for backup power. That's more my style. Then again, those folks have a very small energy footprint, as do I. I would never need 3.1kW to satisfy my needs.

 

[Manonthestreet]

dontcare wHAT YA CLAIM still call bs.....on powering whole house full time......

 

[Manonthestreet]

especially when a solar road will only power three homes for million

 

[westwall]

It's impossible to power a home 100% on solar alone. My solar array provides about 40% of the energy I need, on a good day. My water wheel on the other hand is very useful providing 60% 24/7 until winter freezes up the creek, then we have to rely solely on grid power which is way cheaper than the generator we have in case there is a grid failure.

 

[Treeshepherd]

It's impossible to power a home on solar if you leave the lights on full-time and have a 5,000 cubic foot refrigerator and wash your kids pajamas every day.

I know too many people who make alternative energy work to entertain your grumpy, negative, backassward views. We'll move on without you.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Thanks for admitting the fail. Have a friend who bought 8 high end panels and whirly gig to go with it and full bank of batts.......might run his fridge for two days in an emergency all for 5 grand

 

[Treeshepherd]

It's just unfathomable to me how a right wing conservative would be opposed to producing his own power.

 

[Manonthestreet]

see post above.........when ya have something that actually works let me know

 

[Treeshepherd]

Yeah, we just installed a 3.1kW system. It works. Your next power bill, remember that some people ain't paying no more.

Let us know when you're tired of paying monthly bills to the coal company. That never gets old, right?

 

[Old Rocks]

see post above.........when ya have something that actually works let me know

My, what a dumb ass. Deliberatly denying reality.



Key Findings

• Photovoltaic (PV) installations reached 930 MW in Q3 2013, up 20% over Q2 2013. This represents the second-largest quarter for solar installations in U.S. history
• While the utility solar sector represented more than half of new PV capacity installed, the residential market showed significant growth and posted the segment’s largest quarter in history with 186 MW installed
• The non-residential sector has suffered from a number of contracting state markets and we anticipate a flat 2013; however, we expect a strong resumption of growth in 2014
• 2013 may be the first year in more than a decade in which the U.S. installs more solar capacity than Germany
• Blended average PV system prices fell 4.2% in Q3 2013 compared to the previous quarter, reaching a new low of $3.00/W
• We forecast that the U.S. will install a total of 4.3 GW of new PV in 2013, up 27% over 2012
• The wave of concentrating solar power installations slated for completion at the end of this year kicked off with the 280 MWac Solana project, which came online in October 2013

Looks like willfully ignorant fools like you will be paying the utilities for decades to come while the rest of us are powering our homes and vehicles ourselves. But you love to give your hard earned to the corperations. Then again, being an extreme 'Conservative', there is a very good chance you are a welfare case.