Solar power

[Greg Furtman]

Here's an Undecided video about changing from using silver in solar panels to copper. I found it quite interesting & informative.

 

[Greg Furtman]

This is a good NYT article on our grid. If we are going to go with solar & wind our infrastructure needs to be upgraded soon.

The U.S. Has Billions for Wind and Solar Projects. Good Luck Plugging Them In.

An explosion in proposed clean energy ventures has overwhelmed the system for connecting new power sources to homes and businesses.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Funkworks]

This is a good NYT article on our grid. If we are going to go with solar & wind our infrastructure needs to be upgraded soon.

The U.S. Has Billions for Wind and Solar Projects. Good Luck Plugging Them In.

An explosion in proposed clean energy ventures has overwhelmed the system for connecting new power sources to homes and businesses.

www.nytimes.com

Upgrades will last many years so why not. From that article:

“There are only so many power engineers out there who can do the sophisticated studies we need to do to ensure the system stays reliable, and everyone else is trying to hire them, too.”

Sounds like an interesting job. I bet registrations for power engineering will go up. In any case:

More Than Half Of New US Electricity Generating Capacity In 2023 Will Be Solar - CleanTechnica

Developers plan to add 54.5 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric-generating capacity to the US power grid in 2023

cleantechnica.com

 

[boatgeek]

Upgrades will last many years so why not. From that article:

“There are only so many power engineers out there who can do the sophisticated studies we need to do to ensure the system stays reliable, and everyone else is trying to hire them, too.”

Sounds like an interesting job. I bet registrations for power engineering will go up. In any case:

More Than Half Of New US Electricity Generating Capacity In 2023 Will Be Solar - CleanTechnica

Developers plan to add 54.5 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric-generating capacity to the US power grid in 2023

cleantechnica.com

From what I can tell, degreed electrical engineers on the power side (as opposed to the electronics side) can write their own ticket pretty much anywhere.

 

[Peartree]

I was sitting in the back yard the other day, taking a break from mowing the lawn. Of the nine houses I could see, six had solar panels on the roof.

Its not quite as popular here...

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), as of mid-2022, Ohio ranked 25th nationwide in solar power generation capacity, with around 107,207 Ohio homes powered by solar energy and . 0091 percent of the state's electricity generated by solar power.

 

[Funkworks]

Some good news:

Clean energy record: More than 40% of US electricity now comes from carbon-free sources

Power from zero-carbon sources made up 41% of the US electricity mix in 2022, the Sustainable Energy in America 2023 Factbook published Wednesday said

www.usatoday.com

And well:

Ukrainians Shift to Renewable Power for Energy Security amid War

Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused widespread power cuts, spurring a rise in demand for residential solar power units

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[jderimig]

Some good news:

Clean energy record: More than 40% of US electricity now comes from carbon-free sources

Power from zero-carbon sources made up 41% of the US electricity mix in 2022, the Sustainable Energy in America 2023 Factbook published Wednesday said

www.usatoday.com

And well:

Ukrainians Shift to Renewable Power for Energy Security amid War

Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused widespread power cuts, spurring a rise in demand for residential solar power units

www.scientificamerican.com

This should be in the wind power or nuclear forum. Solar is only about 3% of the ~%41.

 

[kuririn]

This should be in the wind power or nuclear forum. Solar is only about 3% of the ~%41.

According to the Energy Dept. solar made up 3% of the total US electrical production. So that would be 12.3% of the 41%.

Solar Energy in the United States

Solar power is more affordable, accessible, and prevalent in the United States than ever before. Read more.

www.energy.gov

 

[Funkworks]

A company developping solar towers.

https://threesixtysolar.com/

 

[Funkworks]

Makes my day!

Aptera Motors Receives First Fleet Order from SustainabilitySooner.com | Aptera

Aptera Motors Receives First Fleet Order from SustainabilitySooner.com --101 vehicles represent fleet solution with less environmental impact-- San Diego, CA, March 21, 2023—Solar mobility company Aptera Motors has |

aptera.us

 

[boatgeek]

Crossposted here and in the Ukraine thread. Solar panels are being used in Ukraine to make critical infrastructure more resilient. There's far less value in bombing solar panels than in bombing major power plants.

Ukraine found an unlikely tool to resist Russia: solar panels

Ukrainian doctors, teachers and others have discovered that efforts to boost sustainability can also improve security by making it harder to knock power offline.

www.seattletimes.com

 

[Funkworks]

Crossposted here and in the Ukraine thread. Solar panels are being used in Ukraine to make critical infrastructure more resilient. There's far less value in bombing solar panels than in bombing major power plants.

Ukraine found an unlikely tool to resist Russia: solar panels

Ukrainian doctors, teachers and others have discovered that efforts to boost sustainability can also improve security by making it harder to knock power offline.

www.seattletimes.com

Not sure why title says "unlikely". Solar has always been among the most versatile energy sources. It needs a lot of space, but you just can't run out of Sun. And because they are so distributed, panels make a lousy target. I think I posted this in the war thread last year:

Ukrainian solar plant partly resumes operations after bombing

A Russian missile attack hit a 3.9 MW solar plant last week, damaging 416 solar panels and four string inverters.

www.pv-magazine.com

Here's a panel that can produce drinking water:

New solar panels produce water from humidity

US-based manufacturer Source Global has introduced a solar module technology that can produce drinking water from as little as 10% humidity in the air. The company says that its optimized technology can produce water in a range of conditions.

www.pv-magazine.com

 

[boatgeek]

Not sure why title says "unlikely". Solar has always been among the most versatile energy sources. It needs a lot of space, but you just can't run out of Sun. And because they are so distributed, panels make a lousy target. I think I posted this in the war thread last year:

Ukrainian solar plant partly resumes operations after bombing

A Russian missile attack hit a 3.9 MW solar plant last week, damaging 416 solar panels and four string inverters.

www.pv-magazine.com

Here's a panel that can produce drinking water:

New solar panels produce water from humidity

US-based manufacturer Source Global has introduced a solar module technology that can produce drinking water from as little as 10% humidity in the air. The company says that its optimized technology can produce water in a range of conditions.

www.pv-magazine.com

They kind of addressed that in the article, mentioning that Ukraine doesn't get that much sunlight in winter months because it's relatively far north. Plus there's the typical nay-saying that solar can't possibly work. Perhaps you've heard that before.

 

[Funkworks]

... there's the typical nay-saying that solar can't possibly work. Perhaps you've heard that before.

... meanwhile:

Solar power due to overtake oil production investment for first time, IEA says

Investment in clean energy will extend its lead over spending on fossil fuels in 2023, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday, with solar projects expected to outpace outlays on oil production for the first time.

www.reuters.com

 

[Funkworks]

 

[Funkworks]

Here's what flexible solar panels can do: turn an RV into a land-based space probe!



I cannot get enough of brilliant ideas.

 

[boatgeek]

Apparently, solar power has kept the Texas grid afloat in the current heat wave, accounting for a peak of about 20% of the power on the grid.

Solar power proves its worth as heat wave grips the state

Texas has seen a boom in solar power in recent years, and experts say that’s helped the state grid weather an intense June heat wave.

www.texastribune.org

 

[kuririn]

Apparently, solar power has kept the Texas grid afloat in the current heat wave, accounting for a peak of about 20% of the power on the grid.

Solar power proves its worth as heat wave grips the state

Texas has seen a boom in solar power in recent years, and experts say that’s helped the state grid weather an intense June heat wave.

www.texastribune.org

And A/C use peaks when the sun is shining.
Perfect.

 

[Funkworks]

Recent Ted-Ed:



They have older ones here:

https://www.youtube.com/@TEDEd/search?query=solar

 

[DEmery]

The video never mentions you either need batteries or a power plant to be able to provide a base load if needed. I am wanting to do solar for my off grid shed. It is really expensive, even when all you taxpayers will reimburse me 30% of my costs.

 

[Funkworks]

Not much I can say. Cost depends on building and location. I would set up a battery first and feed it with the grid. That's useful in itself, as backup and for getting use to. Then a few years later I'd add solar. I'd say this adds value to the home, but I'm not sure what the real estate market actually says.

Edit: Also, if the equipment only last 5 years, it's very expensive per year, if it lasts 100 years, it might be very cheap per year. The reality is it's somewhere in between. Each manufacturer should have numbers for that. But my point is it's the yearly cost that matters, and how long the equipment lasts is what I consider to be the main unknown. So I would try to get that info, and warranties out of the manufacturer.



Wish I could go here:

Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2023 – ASC & FSGP

www.americansolarchallenge.org

 

[MClark]

Solar sales called yesterday.
I told him we were in a box canyon and in summer only get 30 minutes of sunshine in morning. Rest of the year nothing.
He suggested putting panels on top of the cliffs, kid is thinking. I said it’s a military gunnery range. But we got the land cheap.

 

[boatgeek]

Solar sales called yesterday.
I told him we were in a box canyon and in summer only get 30 minutes of sunshine in morning. Rest of the year nothing.
He suggested putting panels on top of the cliffs, kid is thinking. I said it’s a military gunnery range. But we got the land cheap.

I suppose it's a sign of an industry's maturity that there's cold calling by slightly scammy operators. Yay?

 

[Funkworks]

... cold calling by slightly scammy operators...

I see the cold call, but I don't see the scam. Sounds like any other pushy salesperson to me. I'm being bombarded with ads all the time, most of which, but not all, are pointless.



A solar insurance company:

For Homeowners | SolarInsure

www.solarinsure.com

 

[OzHybrid]

To apply any solution, you have to identify what the problem is and what the options are based on both best practice and cost..
For me living in Sydney Australia, solar is a viable option. I have 6kw of panels and 32KWh of battery capacity installed. I have gas cooker, heating and hot water. I have a portable aircon for summer.
First I had the system without batteries, grid tied. I got paid 19c feed in and charged 40 c for my usage.
Slowly the power companies increased daily connection fees to over $1 per day and the electricity usage charge to over 58c per KWh today. I saw the writing on the wall for that over a year ago and changed the system from grid tie to off grid but maintaining a grid connection as a backup.
In the last year I've used 8KWh from the grid. So if I want to fully disconnect, I have to get that from somewhere.
To get down to that low grid usage has not been without challenges. I left the aircon running and almost completely emptied the battery. It took 3 days of good sun to fully recover and a few weeks ago before winter solstice here and a lot of really cloudy and rainy days I connected to the grid on 2 days for 2KWh each day.
After 2 years of monitoring I can now say that I could completely disconnect from the grid with my modified usage patterns and a small wind generator on the roof.
Used panels are coming readily onto the market for next to nothing. Au$1000 for 10KW of panels. So that's my cheapest option. But you have to have somewhere to put them. The cost of batteries is as low as US$80 per KWh in the US.
See Batteryhookup.com
This is a diy option. Not for everyone. I've previously provided links for prices where people have doubted my costs feasibility.
YOUR OPTTIONS FOR YOUR LOCATION WILL BE DIFFERENT......Remaining connected to the grid is also an option.
Norm

 

[boatgeek]

I see the cold call, but I don't see the scam. Sounds like any other pushy salesperson to me. I'm being bombarded with ads all the time, most of which, but not all, are pointless.



A solar insurance company:

For Homeowners | SolarInsure

www.solarinsure.com

Eh, there's a fine line/gray area between scam and pushy sales, which is why I said slightly scammy. Without knowing any more about the situation, I think it's pretty unlikely that panels up the box canyon walls are going to be a viable solution either from an engineering or aesthetic standpoint.

 

[Greg Furtman]

The video never mentions you either need batteries or a power plant to be able to provide a base load if needed. I am wanting to do solar for my off grid shed. It is really expensive, even when all you taxpayers will reimburse me 30% of my costs.

If you search YouTube there are a number of channels that show you how to build your own battery packs. Most of them use LiFePo4 batteries. They cover testing the batteries, how to wire them, and how to choose and install a Battery Management System. So if you has some DIY skills you can build a storage battery system for a lot less than a commercial unit.

This channel is pretty good. https://www.youtube.com/@RayBuildsCoolStuff

 

[jderimig]

If you search YouTube there are a number of channels that show you how to build your own battery packs. Most of them use LiFePo4 batteries. They cover testing the batteries, how to wire them, and how to choose and install a Battery Management System. So if you has some DIY skills you can build a storage battery system for a lot less than a commercial unit.

This channel is pretty good. https://www.youtube.com/@RayBuildsCoolStuff

Yes but if you use it in your home you probably won't get it pass an electrical inspector. No electrical inspection, no insurance.

 

[Tyeeking]

Yes but if you use it in your home you probably won't get it pass an electrical inspector. No electrical inspection, no insurance.

In addition if something is done that is not properly inspected it must be disclosed when selling the home. Failure to disclose improvements that have not been properly permitted leaves a seller open to liability after the sale. DIY’s can be a big problem in home sales.

 

[Funkworks]

Eh, there's a fine line/gray area between scam and pushy sales, which is why I said slightly scammy. Without knowing any more about the situation, I think it's pretty unlikely that panels up the box canyon walls are going to be a viable solution either from an engineering or aesthetic standpoint.

I’m wondering what’s the smallest box canyon out there.

I guess I’m imaging a geographic feature that would qualify but who knows if it actually exists.


But yeah, living down there would be a joke in itself.

Recent article on setting up solar:

My Off-Grid Project: The Secrets I Learned to Save on Solar
https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-an...ct-the-secrets-i-learned-to-maximize-savings/