Yesterday. Would you buy and EV?

[AndyMA]

We have had 2 solar farms installed in our area in last 3 years. I have been trying to find out what the pay back has been. Nobody seems to know and don't want to find out. I have a feeling they are a losing proposition.

Not even close. Did you see my earlier post that natural gas plants cost 4 times more to build than solar plants? That doesn't take into account the huge difference in maintaince costs, Obviously the payback on solar plans is at least 4 times faster than a NG plant
BTW I'm an engineering manager for ConEdison Clean Energy Businesses. We are the second largest owner of solar & wind assets in North America.

 

[jyoutz]

1. Darkness
2. No wind

Pretty simple

That’s what natural gas turbines are for. They can be ramped up as needed. But over 30% of energy is renewables in my state, and I’d guess a significant amount in Texas, judging from all the wind installations I see there. Your point that they don’t work all the time is obvious, but who wouldn’t want a significant proportion of energy to be produced with little effort?

 

[jyoutz]

The solar/wind guys must dislike American made energy seeing that most of the junk is made in China or Europe.

Ridiculous comment

 

[Fixastuff]

It's cool that the people who drive past solar and wind farms(and don't like them) know more about their profitability than the accountants that clear them and businesses that build them, I'm impressed!

 

[ultrarunner]

Or the angle of deflection. I wish more people would accept both-and solutions instead of either-or.

My Northern Latitude friends often wondered why every rooftop in the SouthWest isn't covered with solar.

On my last visit I see panels sprouting in Northern Europe and British Columbia...

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Not even close. Did you see my earlier post that natural gas plants cost 4 times more to build than solar plants? That doesn't take into account the huge difference in maintaince costs, Obviously the payback on solar plans is at least 4 times faster than a NG plant
BTW I'm an engineering manager for ConEdison Clean Energy Businesses. We are the second largest owner of solar & wind assets in North America.

Many of us grew up worshipping fossil fuels and the abundance of good things they enabled.

Some see EVs as a more efficient way to utilize fossil fueled powerplants which is true but is not the endpoint.

Electric power tools and vehicles are becoming the new normal providing a new way to utilize energy sources that are not mainstream yet today.

Thinking tomorrow is going to like yesteryear is a blind canyon trapping many.

 

[hornett22]

We have had 2 solar farms installed in our area in last 3 years. I have been trying to find out what the pay back has been. Nobody seems to know and don't want to find out. I have a feeling they are a losing proposition.

If they released that info, you'd find out it's mostly from government subsidies

 

[hornett22]

In 2021, renewable resources accounted for the largest share of New Mexico's in-state electricity generation, about 36% of power from utility-scale (1 megawatt or larger) facilities and a total of 37% from utility-scale and small-scale (less than 1 megawatt) facilities combined.
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Homepage - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) › state › analysis

You explain negatives. I don’t see any.

Oh it's from the government? Please forgive me if I don't run right out and believe it.

 

[jyoutz]

Oh it's from the government? Please forgive me if I don't run right out and believe it.

I’m sure that you prefer alternative facts.

 

[jyoutz]

If they released that info, you'd find out it's mostly from government subsidies

Yep. Them young whippersnappers with their new ideas. I mean the old ways worked just fine for grampa.