Parking lots for Solar Energy?

[OVERKILL]

It would be interesting to see some numbers on the power generated versus the power consumed. These resorts are massive with thousands of rooms all air conditioned plus everything else electric. When they say “up to 90%” I’m suspicious.

100MW is a fair bit of juice for a solar farm (that's a big array), and Nevada is pretty sunny, but the thing is, it will be generating during the day when things are less active (sure, you'll have AC usage, but the real party is at night) and then you'll be leaning on gas or something else to cover for it when it buggers off.

- The Hoover Dam is 2,030MW (but doesn't produce anywhere near nameplate)
- Palo Verde is 3,937MW and produces at VERY near nameplate (92.55% CF in 2017)

So not sure how significant the 100MW curtailment at Hoover (if that were to even happen) would be? Would be great to keep more water in Lake Mead, but it seems unlikely to be as a result of this project.

 

[dlundblad]

So are picture windows, semi trucks (and vehicles in general) high rises and even electrical lines,
By far the largest killer of wildlife is farming (not talking the livestock)
but as you say, nobody cares about that.

It is all relative though, cars+buildings still kill more wildlife than nearly every other “manmade” structure (like windmills)
And worldwide agriculture kills billions of wild animals directly/indirectly.

We are being told we are farming too much, driving too much, and building too much.

Solar and wind is harmful and is still being pushed.

 

[buster]

https://news.mit.edu/2022/ultrathin-solar-cells-1209

 

[Rmay635703]

The real issue with wind turbines isn't the bird and bat kill rate overall, it's the raptor kill rate. That's where much of the concern has been focused due to low/slow reproductivity and relatively sparse populations.

The raptor kill rate is unique to 2 specific Windfarms but is numerically irrelevant source in most areas, (hard to kill eagles in areas that have none) the only reason fewer eagles are dying from lead today is because certain agencies have gotten very good at tracking and treating lead poisoning and certain regions have discontinued lead ammo.

We are being told we are farming too much, driving too much, and building too much.

Solar and wind is harmful and is still being pushed.

Yet the government has policies that are full hog pushing for more farming and other agencies push full hog for more travel so it’s a false equivalency as there is no real effort or campaign to reduce either, by its actions the government is pushing for the opposite .

It’s just like the government has policies both to reduce and increase the population at the same time.

 

[OVERKILL]

The raptor kill rate is unique to 2 specific Windfarms but is numerically irrelevant source in most areas, (hard to kill eagles in areas that have none) the only reason fewer eagles are dying from lead today is because certain agencies have gotten very good at tracking and treating lead poisoning and certain regions have discontinued lead ammo.

It's definitely not unique to 2 wind farms, that article just mentions the two farms in California that started the public US dialogue on the issue.

This would be good to read for starters to get up to speed on the issue:
https://bioone.org/journals/journal...Studies-From-Around/10.3356/JRR-16-100.1.full

Excerpt:

And another:

They do mention some mitigation mechanisms as well, such as stopping turbines during bird migrations, which is effective at mitigating deaths during these periods but would not have an effect on what was observed at the above site in Norway.

 

[csandste]

You go there as well, eh?
They have several monitors inside showing how much they are making from their solar panels.

Just driving by. My energy was Chinese food, not the sun.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Yeah, the build-rate seems daunting for sure, but Ontario built 20 reactors in ~20 years, and that's just one Canadian province. France built 56 reactors in ~20 years. It's doable, but requires a commitment beyond the election cycle and that's the main problem. This is probably now further complicated by the Canadians just buying Westinghouse, lol.

Ya. Don't get me wrong. I like nuclear, but it gets annoying when the anti-renewable crowd who argue " just build more nukes" can't go past that and comprehend what it actually means to build more nukes. The initial cost of Vogtle was $10B ($30B all in) at an existing site. Doubling total capacity would cost around $1T in todays dollars assuming no delays and cost overruns and that only gives nuclear a bump to 40 percent.


It's like they're just regurgitating a talking point they heard on TV and stop there.

 

[alarmguy]

So are picture windows, semi trucks (and vehicles in general) high rises and even electrical lines,
By far the largest killer of wildlife is farming (not talking the livestock)
but as you say, nobody cares about that.

It is all relative though, cars+buildings still kill more wildlife than nearly every other “manmade” structure (like windmills)
And worldwide agriculture kills billions of wild animals directly/indirectly.

I dont disagree and wasnt really following this thread but one thing that does come to mind.
If all this is true and doesnt matter to the greenies. Why did it matter when a few hundred oil covered ducks from an oil spill was all over the news about the big bad oil industry when windmills slaughter up to 50,000 birds a year in the USA non stop.

So this is ok since buildings and trucks ect kill too? Lets just add in more dead animals?

If so, why even bother with wind farms and solar? We already have pretty much perfected getting oil out of the ground safely to the point that likely affects the things we are talking about WAY less than wind farms and solar farms and we all know nuclear is the most earth friendly power source and has no affect on these issues, less than any other power source known to mankind but the media trains the majority differently.
The media controls the majority of the population and the population doesnt even know it. No different than a person holding a remote control flying a drone. The public in general is the drone and has been since the beginning of mankind. Promoting fear always controls the population.

 

[OVERKILL]

Ya. Don't get me wrong. I like nuclear, but it gets annoying when the anti-renewable crowd who argue " just build more nukes" can't go past that and comprehend what it actually means to build more nukes. The initial cost of Vogtle was $10B ($30B all in) at an existing site. Doubling total capacity would cost around $1T in todays dollars assuming no delays and cost overruns and that only gives nuclear a bump to 40 percent.


It's like they're just regurgitating a talking point they heard on TV and stop there.

It's the same thing for the VRE proposals if we are being honest. Look at the cost for Ocean Wind, that offshore wind farm, it ends up being more expensive per unit power than Vogtle!

The mis-framing and misrepresentation of the energy transition is absolutely brutal, the expectations and timelines are abject fantasy.

 

[4WD]

It's the same thing for the VRE proposals if we are being honest. Look at the cost for Ocean Wind, that offshore wind farm, it ends up being more expensive per unit power than Vogtle!

The OW industry is heading for a collision with actual environmentalist's as well …

 

[OVERKILL]

The OW industry is heading for a collision with actual environmentalist's as well …

Yup, that's well underway.

 

[UG_Passat]

Provides shade for your car for parking, so in the summer, it won't be blistering hot in your car

 

[UncleDave]

"greenies"..sure some are, others just good business people. The green brush doest apply to many.

The only green I care about is what's in my wallet.

My friends in Texas have a saying - if you don't have an oil well - get one.
I've had one, a piece of one actually, and it was a pretty good investment. It produced a small amount of marketable oil daily.
Thing is I had to pay all kinds of fees along the way to get money as the end result, but it was great until it depleted.
I had no direct use for the product but in that money is fungible it offset other cost elsewhere.

Imagine having an oil well, power plant, and refinery combined on your property for a reasonable amount of money.

Having a workable solar array is very similar except I have direct use for its product in my home and in a vehicle.
With no maintenance or moving parts It produces a some what fungible product I use every day, and would otherwise have to pay for - AND enough excess to actually use it in place of fuel directly with no in between middle man. (IF I had an EV)

Do your own math - sure lots of places it doesnt make sense and if the math shows that - dont do it.

Your cousins friends brothers uncle joes story from 10 years ago is very likely simply not relevant to you.

Solar for parking in areas that produce, on mall roofs, and otherwise unused space- sure.
Solar over ag? come on thats just foolish.

 

[tyman]

woooooooooooot Japan

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-15/japan-tokyo-solar-panels/101778814

All new houses built after 2025 in Japan's capital Tokyo must have solar panels, local government rules

 

[Shannow]

Here's the country that has the greatest inrush of Renewables...

 

[incognito_2u]

All three of our high schools have solar parking lots, get solar power plus shade for the teachers vehicles.

Same here on Long Island………a “win-win”!