How is Solar Energy sustainable?

[Old Rocks]

Solar powered pump and solar pumps for solar water pumping from wells ponds and creeks
Please give us a call and put our 25 plus years of experience to work for you today! Now with pumps to lift water up to 350 feet or flow up to 45 gpm on shallow wells.

Now silly old gal, there are many, many pumps on the market for off grid locations. With all kinds of capacities and possible depths.

 

[Old Rocks]

Really? Impossible, how so? That 48,000 Gw is spread over what time?

You left out the "h", which stands for hour, Gwh. How many Solar farms will it take to produce 48,000 GWH!

Again, stupidity from those who support Solar. You can not come up with one fact, all you can do is offer ridiculous questions.

I see, so the 85 kwHr batteries mean you have to use all 85 kws in one hour. Elektra, you are beyond stupid. LOL

 

[jon_berzerk]

Such a simple question, such a simple word, thrown out as fact, indisputable.

Solar is sustainable.

Sure, the sun shines, on some days, on others, not. Forever no, but long enough.

But Solar Energy is much different than simply stating, "The Sun Shines!" Solar is the Sun, Solar Energy is Heavy Industry. Is heavy Industry Sustainable?

Now, if Solar Panels grew on trees, that would qualify as, Sustainable.

Sustainability - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

In ecology, sustainability is how biological systems remain diverse and productive. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems

Solar Energy, gets a free pass, on sustainability.

Can we continue to divert our money, our labor into Solar, at rates that are simply expressed best as 100's of billions of dollars? Is that sustainable?

We can not sustain the whims of Government, Special Interest corporations, University "research", the "scientists".

Thus far Solar has failed to produce electricity in quantity to make any difference, other than in EXPENSE.

How is Solar Sustainable? That makes no sense at all.

solar has its place

but for peak energy is not that reliable

 

[elektra]

Solar powered pump and solar pumps for solar water pumping from wells ponds and creeks
Please give us a call and put our 25 plus years of experience to work for you today! Now with pumps to lift water up to 350 feet or flow up to 45 gpm on shallow wells.

Now silly old gal, there are many, many pumps on the market for off grid locations. With all kinds of capacities and possible depths.

Failed to quote so you could lie again? I quoted your post and showed you to be wrong, period. That is why the post is not included.

 

[elektra]

Solar power in California - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

California has the technical potential to install 76,000 MW of rooftop solar panels, which would generate 106,411 GWh/year, about 41% of the total electricity used in California in 2012.

Just what is possible from rooftops. So, yes, solar can well provide for all the water pumping in California.

With a capacity factor of 13% that leaves us 9,880 Mwh, far short of what is needed to pump water.

Of course, how many houses in California have a south facing roof making your idea feasible? Less than 10%. How many trees will need to be cut down? So many little details left out of Old Crock's simple thoughts.

And then with a 100% rooftop coverage that will increase the amount of water needed, further that water will have to be pumped to the top of the roof, requiring more power.

Old Crock's reasoning falls far short of reality.

 

[OnePercenter]

So, you harness the Sun's energy, how about some pics, specs, technical information, the name, stuff like that. So we can get technical. Your biggest use of energy, is water. Which Solar does not pump.

The footprint is the smallest? Do you have any idea of the amount of land Solar is covering, it is measured in miles, to replace one nuclear power plant you would need a 100 square mile solar panel field. We have covered at least that much land in california yet Solar accounts for less than 1% of out total electricity usage in california.

Reclaimed water, could be used to grow food, if distilled, purified, you can use it to clean solar panels, so you are going to reclaim water, pump it to the desert, pump it with what, Fossil Fuel? Solar can not pump water, and how much will it cost? Billions?

Your ideology exists in a vacuum of intelligence.

I have 40 panels that produce 14,000 watts of electricity per day. The inverter is Outback. Batteries, I don't know. When I return to San Diego in late June I'll look.

The area is large for solar, but the footprint (actually touching the ground) is smallest.

Golf courses already use reclaimed water. The infrastructure is already in place, besides, washing panels is a twice per year task.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Bottom line here is that the modern life-style is NOT sustainable!

Then you should opt out of life. Lead by example and remove yourself as a problem.

If every envirowacko leftist would simply exit the human race, most of the problems we face would be solved.

Ideally a solar panel factory would be powered by solar panels and so the whole thing would constitute a sustainable technology, HOWEVER, given that the solar panel factory must be supplied with raw material, mined from the earth, it becomes sort of a moot point.

The problem here is that even if it doesn't happen in my life-time, its bound to happen ( unless of course the earth magically produces underground deposits of Petrol ) that is the depletion of natural resources to the point that the current life-style is simply NOT possible. ( bummer! )

Some pundits have predicted mega-cities that dwarf present LA sprawl and would have a Billion people driving cars on the freeways & consuming fuel, electricity & natural gas at a rate certainly diminished from the present per/capita consumption, but unfortunately .... given ANY rate of consumption at all, the idea of having a Billion people living the "good life" that is having whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it, cell phones for all, TVs computers, smart appliances ..... oh the future is so bright, and SO WRONG!
We can't do it!

Get used to it, your Children & GrandChildren will NOT have it better than You do right now.

The dream of the left since as far back as I can remember is a declining society and the promise of misery.

You have yet to realize your dream. If you do your part and exit the human race, we never will realize the decline you seek.

 

[n0spam4me]

So amid cries of "go off yourself" the opposition hopes to cloud the fact that what is going on in the world at present, is the rampant use of non-renewable sources of energy & material. Our life style of dependence on cell phones, automobiles, aircraft ( etc.... ) burns up fuel & material at an alarming rate and the way that the system is currently rigged, its a one way trip from the deposits in the ground to a short life as an aid to the modern life, and then having been oxidized or in other ways rendered useless, simply discarded.

Look at a forest with all the wildlife that lives therein, its a complete system, the animals, plants, insects, microbes, all live in balance.

a modern city is totally out of balance, and the result is obvious.
The industrialized world is headed for a crash, and the only thing that would save humanity, is for some genius inventor to create a power source that is truly sustainable. ( right, like that is going to happen )

 

[OnePercenter]

So amid cries of "go off yourself" the opposition hopes to cloud the fact that what is going on in the world at present, is the rampant use of non-renewable sources of energy & material. Our life style of dependence on cell phones, automobiles, aircraft ( etc.... ) burns up fuel & material at an alarming rate and the way that the system is currently rigged, its a one way trip from the deposits in the ground to a short life as an aid to the modern life, and then having been oxidized or in other ways rendered useless, simply discarded.

Look at a forest with all the wildlife that lives therein, its a complete system, the animals, plants, insects, microbes, all live in balance.

a modern city is totally out of balance, and the result is obvious.
The industrialized world is headed for a crash, and the only thing that would save humanity, is for some genius inventor to create a power source that is truly sustainable. ( right, like that is going to happen )

There won't be a crash. The few that run the joints won't let it.

 

[elektra]

So amid cries of "go off yourself" the opposition hopes to cloud the fact that what is going on in the world at present, is the rampant use of non-renewable sources of energy & material. Our life style of dependence on cell phones, automobiles, aircraft ( etc.... ) burns up fuel & material at an alarming rate and the way that the system is currently rigged, its a one way trip from the deposits in the ground to a short life as an aid to the modern life, and then having been oxidized or in other ways rendered useless, simply discarded.

Look at a forest with all the wildlife that lives therein, its a complete system, the animals, plants, insects, microbes, all live in balance.

a modern city is totally out of balance, and the result is obvious.
The industrialized world is headed for a crash, and the only thing that would save humanity, is for some genius inventor to create a power source that is truly sustainable. ( right, like that is going to happen )

rampant use of non-renewable sources of energy & material.

Do you mean the "rampant use of non-renewable sources of energy & material", to build the World's Largest Solar Farm with the least return of energy per ton of energy and material used to build the World's Largest Solar Farm?

 

[X.Onasis]

Got any more bad investment ideas elektra? Please post them.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Will partner with First Solar on 850M CA solar farm

Apple to build $850M solar energy farm in CA

 

[n0spam4me]

RE: washing solar panels, it really depends on where the panels are, in some off-grid little cabin out in the middle of nowhere, the rain may be sufficient to wash the panels as much as they need. Someplace like smog city ( L. A. ) the panels need washing often.

Also, the panels can be set flat, and that constitutes a compromise, but there are a number of flat roof installs that indeed produce rather well.

Solar & wind are by far not perfect, however the idea of building yet another Nuke or Coal-fired plant is just plain sick!

 

[elektra]

RE: washing solar panels, it really depends on where the panels are, in some off-grid little cabin out in the middle of nowhere, the rain may be sufficient to wash the panels as much as they need. Someplace like smog city ( L. A. ) the panels need washing often.

Also, the panels can be set flat, and that constitutes a compromise, but there are a number of flat roof installs that indeed produce rather well.

Solar & Wind are by far not perfect, however the idea of building yet another Nuke or Coal-fired plant is just plain sick!

Solar and Wind will cost us over 10 trillion dollars, not because we do not have the energy we need, but because you want to replace everything that exists today.

They increase the use of Oil and Coal, takes a lot of energy to build Solar and Wind forever.

Solar and Wind can never power Industry.

Solar and Wind have failed in Germany, Spain, and Greece. Can we say bankruptcy.

The only thing Solar and Wind does is make people rich. Government Guaranteed Loans and Grants. For every bit of that 11 Trillion dollars. Who profits, Chase Manhattan bank, which is Rockefeller bank, Rockefeller as in ExxonMobile money. Oil money.

Banks and Oil companies profit from a Government Policy.

The consumers are forced to pay more for a product many of us do not want. Literally forced because Electric Utilities all have government controlled Monopolies.

Solar and Wind can not even supply the electricity to pump the water that Solar uses in California. That is done with Fossil Fuels.

 

[z_luzhina]

Solar and Wind can not even supply the electricity to pump the water that Solar uses in California. That is done with Fossil Fuels.

Do you think fossil fuels will last forever?

 

[elektra]

Solar and Wind can not even supply the electricity to pump the water that Solar uses in California. That is done with Fossil Fuels.

Do you think fossil fuels will last forever?

I think they will last as long as the Human Race lasts.

Solar and Wind Energy do not replace Oil, Oil is not used to make Electricity.

Solar and Wind Energy increase the use of Oil, in the manufacture, maintenance and replacement of Solar and Wind Power.

Over 10 trillion dollars will be spent on Solar and Wind, that money will go to the manufacture and installation Solar and Wind power plants. Much of that money and manufacture will increase the consumption of Oil.

If you are really worried about running out of Oil, why use our dwindling reserves to build the World's largest in physical size Wind and Solar power plants that returns so little energy?

 

[elektra]

Got any more bad investment ideas elektra? Please post them.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Will partner with First Solar on 850M CA solar farm

Apple to build $850M solar energy farm in CA

Long term, its an incredibly bad investment,Thanks, the headline should be:

APPLE to destroy 4 square miles of farmland.

This is great, the rich people who own Apple can afford to destroy 4 square miles of farmland, how sustainable is that? And from your link it states that the 4 square miles will power 60,000 homes. That is not taking into account the capacity factor of about 23%.

Is that a fair trade? 4 square miles of farmland to maybe power 15,000 homes? 1.2 million individual Solar panels. Of course we need batteries because most people use their homes at night.

Sustainable? I wonder, any grants involved? Maybe there are some Professors or whole departments of a University involved?

Solar is stabbing a fork in the eye of Americans.

 

[n0spam4me]

Solar and Wind can not even supply the electricity to pump the water that Solar uses in California. That is done with Fossil Fuels.

Source please.

 

[rdean]

They asked the same thing about the "horseless carriage".

 

[rdean]

Got any more bad investment ideas elektra? Please post them.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Will partner with First Solar on 850M CA solar farm

Apple to build $850M solar energy farm in CA

Long term, its an incredibly bad investment,Thanks, the headline should be:

APPLE to destroy 4 square miles of farmland.

This is great, the rich people who own Apple can afford to destroy 4 square miles of farmland, how sustainable is that? And from your link it states that the 4 square miles will power 60,000 homes. That is not taking into account the capacity factor of about 23%.

Is that a fair trade? 4 square miles of farmland to maybe power 15,000 homes? 1.2 million individual Solar panels. Of course we need batteries because most people use their homes at night.

Sustainable? I wonder, any grants involved? Maybe there are some Professors or whole departments of a University involved?

Solar is stabbing a fork in the eye of Americans.

OMG. We are all going to starve.

Oh wait, Republicans don't care if anyone starves. Ask children whose food stamps were cut. Nevermind.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Such a simple question, such a simple word, thrown out as fact, indisputable.

Solar is sustainable.

Sure, the sun shines, on some days, on others, not. Forever no, but long enough.

But Solar Energy is much different than simply stating, "The Sun Shines!" Solar is the Sun, Solar Energy is Heavy Industry. Is heavy Industry Sustainable?

Now, if Solar Panels grew on trees, that would qualify as, Sustainable.

Sustainability - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

In ecology, sustainability is how biological systems remain diverse and productive. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems

Solar Energy, gets a free pass, on sustainability.

Can we continue to divert our money, our labor into Solar, at rates that are simply expressed best as 100's of billions of dollars? Is that sustainable?

We can not sustain the whims of Government, Special Interest corporations, University "research", the "scientists".

Thus far Solar has failed to produce electricity in quantity to make any difference, other than in EXPENSE.

How is Solar Sustainable? That makes no sense at all.

Solar's sustainable because the Sun will outlive the human race by far. Didn't they cover that in school for ya?

Is solar a preferred technology to oil is a better question. Short answer's no. As it stands right now, the solar panels used in solar energy generation are too inefficient to replace existing proven technology as with oil, coal, nuclear, etc. Friendlier and safer than those, sure. But unless you're okay blanketing every free square mile with solar panels (when we bitch and moan enough as it is about windmills) I don't see it as practical.

No one technology is practical by itself. Rather, some are better in some locations than others. Tidal plants are preferred near the ocean for example, solar's preferred way the hell out in the middle of the Mojave, nuclear near rivers which don't ever dry up (and away from faultlines,) oil near major ports, etc.

Eventually oil will run out. Oil industry itself says about 60 years with "proven reserves" meaning if we don't drill and discover any more new sources. But whether that's right or pessismistic and it'll last 100 years doesnt' much matter. Eventually it's gonna and we're gonna need a backup supply so we don't go through an adjustment period with a tiny fraction of what we had with oil when we still had it. So we need to perfect all the others like solar, tidal, geothermal, wind, and even nuclear now when it's mostly an optional supply and not yet a critical need. If we don't work on alt supplies until we literally have nothing else we're royally screwed.