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solar energy will never be mainstream
https://mail.chicagofanatics.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=100040		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  IkeSouth [ Thu Apr 28, 2016 5:26 pm ]
Post subject:  solar energy will never be mainstream
oh wait nevermind it already is and its looking like it might dwarf all other forms of energy

http://electrek.co/2016/04/28/i-was-wro ... irt-cheap/

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Quote:
The unsubsidized electricity cost from industrial-scale solar PV in the most favorable locations is now well below $40 per megawatt-hour and could very easily be below $20 per megawatt-hour by 2020. Compared to other new sources of supply, this would be the cheapest electricity on the planet.

The price of solar power has fallen for multiple reasons – the largest is that the volume of solar power being manufactured has skyrocketed. Of the almost 240GW of solar power installed globally, 85% of it has been installed in the past five years.


tesla/panasonic wont be able to make batteries fast enough...
Author:  Edward Dickman [ Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
Solar is far from mainstream. It will be mainstream when most homes have solar panels on the roof, but by the time that happens, the traditional energy companies will own all of the solar farms and we will all still be paying too much for energy. The common man gets screwed by corporate greed again. That will never change. Bernie would be a good start though.
Author:  pittmike [ Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
Friend of mine out a bunch of panels on his roof. No batteries as that adds a lot of cost. Only uses what he needs. Not sure how the hookup works. A lot of the time though his electric meter spins backwards and the utility is buying back from him.

I see vanity and homeowners associations being a roadblock though. Might be unsightly for the uppity types
Author:  IkeSouth [ Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
Edward Dickman wrote:
Solar is far from mainstream. It will be mainstream when most bomes have solar panels on the roof, but by the time that happens, the traditional energy companies will own all of the solar farms and we will all still be paying too much for energy. The common man gets screwed by corporate greed again. That will never change. Bernie would be a good start though.


the thing is when solar panels become so cheap that everyone can replace their roof with solar panels, the power companies are simply screwed.

and thats what this data is showing. it will only be a few years before it actually is that cheap
Author:  IkeSouth [ Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
pittmike wrote:
Friend of mine out a bunch of panels on his roof. No batteries as that adds a lot of cost. Only uses what he needs. Not sure how the hookup works. A lot of the time though his electric meter spins backwards and the utility is buying back from him.

I see vanity and homeowners associations being a roadblock though. Might be unsightly for the uppity types


the hookup works on basic electron flow. if you press more electrons one way than you do the other, they flow that way. you can think of it like two water pumps, one being the power company and one being your solar panels. the pressure is higher from the power company at night, but during the day the pressure from your panels exceeds what is getting to you by the power company. your meter records that backflow, and the power company deducts a percentage off your bill for that because you are taking stress off their generators.

at some point though, the power companies wont like it because their purpose will really just be to provide peak power and nightly demands, and to maintain the grid. oh well. boo hoo

and homeowner associations wont care when solar panels come in the form of 'shingles'. roofs wont really look any different as they will be a part of the roof structure.
Author:  bigfan [ Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
Ike go look up how Comed squashed solar plans in Illinois
Author:  Edward Dickman [ Thu Apr 28, 2016 9:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
bigfan wrote:
Ike go look up how Comed squashed solar plans in Illinois


Exactly. The Com Eds of the world will buy the solar panel manufacfurers and/or the solar fields where there are huge numbers of solar panels. In the end, by the time this all matures and comes to fruition, the consumer will once again be taking it in the end from the power companies. Power might be a little bit cheaper, but all of the power companies arent going to close their doors and concede.
Author:  312player [ Thu Apr 28, 2016 9:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
Edward Dickman wrote:
bigfan wrote:
Ike go look up how Comed squashed solar plans in Illinois


Exactly. The Com Eds of the world will buy the solar panel manufacfurers and/or the solar fields where there are huge numbers of solar panels. In the end, by the time this all matures and comes to fruition, the consumer will once again be taking it in the end from the power companies. Power might be a little bit cheaper, but all of the power companies arent going to close their doors and concede.





They've done that for decades but that time has passed, too many manufactures now and the cost has come down a lot.
Author:  Frank Coztansa [ Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
He will never be mainstream until he stops dressing like he is part of The Blue Man Group.

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Author:  pittmike [ Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
312player wrote:
Edward Dickman wrote:
bigfan wrote:
Ike go look up how Comed squashed solar plans in Illinois


Exactly. The Com Eds of the world will buy the solar panel manufacfurers and/or the solar fields where there are huge numbers of solar panels. In the end, by the time this all matures and comes to fruition, the consumer will once again be taking it in the end from the power companies. Power might be a little bit cheaper, but all of the power companies arent going to close their doors and concede.





They've done that for decades but that time has passed, too many manufactures now and the cost has come down a lot.



Without government intervention there isn't much a utility can do to prevent people from going off the grid so to speak.
Author:  Brick [ Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
pittmike wrote:
Without government intervention there isn't much a utility can do to prevent people from going off the grid so to speak.
Well, they could shut you off from their network and then you are kind of screwed if there is an extended run of cloudy days.
Author:  pittmike [ Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: solar energy will never be mainstream
Boilermaker Rick wrote:
pittmike wrote:
Without government intervention there isn't much a utility can do to prevent people from going off the grid so to speak.
Well, they could shut you off from their network and then you are kind of screwed if there is an extended run of cloudy days.



Of course. That is a chance someone will take should they wish to.
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