Solar power & Wind Power for residental use

[buickanddeere]

You forgot that hydro power stations can bypass their turbines at will, too.

I thought that was a given and did not have to be mentioned. Flow has to be maintained to give the fishes down stream something to swim in 24/7.
It's a expensive waste to have the already paid for power dam gang can generate for 3-4 cents bypass water . Then at the same time be paying subsidies of 13.5, 16,5 and 39.5 to 80.2 to green power. And then pay Michigan to take that surplus power.
Do you know how much Ontario has spent since the start of Ontario green power just to pay NY and Michigan to take the power. Do you know how much Ontario has paid in subsidies to green power operators?
Would that $$$ be better spent on health care, education and roads ?

 

[buickanddeere]

I seen them just about fifty years ago.

Speaking of land communication lines any chance of them going away in the future??


Now an aside for B&D.
Subsidies for power generation. Any of the folks that own the lines and plants get any breaks when they built. Any breaks on their fuel? Then there are the Hydro plants using our water resources. Course the wind and sun would also be considered as resources. Any mention of cleanup or damages caused by stack effluent.

I don't know what cellular phone has to do with transmitting MW levels of AC power.
The power lines on private property are paid for by the developers building the wind and solar. Power lines on public property down the road that green uses are paid for by the distribution company which is us the rate payer.
Water power is not free. OPG pays to the province for use of the water .

 

[buickanddeere]

I not surprised you would disparage my efforts. I didn't mention that i do a fair amount of volunteer work in the community, so you can pat yourself on the back and feel superior about that too. Also not surprise you wouldn't understand how a power company could purchase power from different sources with out having to unplug wires to plug into a different provider. Oh please, do tell me a story.

One evening just after night shift started at Pickering Nuclear in the early 90's . After the media had just ran another anti nuclear rant/fund raiser for Durham region nuclear awareness. A concerned lady had called around until she found a phone extension that would be answered at 9:00 PM at night . Security did not know what to do with her. Transferred to the control room but they were busy operating four nuclear units and did not have the time or patience. The call was transferred our shop where this women went on a rant and then wanted her house switched from bad nuclear to clear power from Niagara Falls.
The call had been on speaker phone the whole time and a sizable crowd of staff gathered around were doing their best not to laugh out loud .
Lady on the phone was told , ok we can swap your house over ,what is your address ? She tells us. Somebody in the background speaks up , Mrs Jones your house is on switch 582948X. We will do a count down , your lights will flicker as we shut down your nuclear supply and switch to Niagara . The countdown was started while somebody was standing In front of a multi drawer tool box. Between the count of 0 and 1 we stated slamming tool box doors in an out for sound effects . We then asked the lady if her lights went out and came back on now that she was on Niagara power .
the caller now rather happy and thankful had seen her lights blink and was glad that no radiation was coming into her house from Pickering.
She thanked us all again and we said good night.

 

[buickanddeere]

I not surprised you would disparage my efforts. I didn't mention that i do a fair amount of volunteer work in the community, so you can pat yourself on the back and feel superior about that too. Also not surprise you wouldn't understand how a power company could purchase power from different sources with out having to unplug wires to plug into a different provider. Oh please, do tell me a story.

Not to brag but Mrs B&D , offspring and myself are volunteers in our community . We directly support missions in Africa and both support missions and have done mission work in Haiti.

 

[buickanddeere]

Speaking about subsidizing wind and solar. We are connected to small rural electric coop (In fact we are share holders). Since we are rural we have relatively expensive infrastructure per electric meter. Based on annual report the coop spends about $70-80 per meter per month for infrastructure maintenance and running the operation. I also know that there are many homes that have electric bill less than 80/month. So they are subsidized by people using more power. Shouldn't they be penalized because they heat with wood? The coop doesn't generate any power but buys it at approximately 3.5 cent/kWh and selling it for 11.3 cent/kWh. It should charge $80 month for infrastructure and 3.5 cent for power.
For some reason the management is hostile to alternative energy sources. No net metering is offered and in addition if you install PV they will cancel discounted rate for your electric heating. We generate about 30% more energy that we use but still have in average $177/month electric bill. So in fact we (our PV) are subsidizing those who use little electric power.

Is it good business for your utility to purchase subsidized green power for Eg 20 cents and sell it for 11.3 cents ? Or purchase power at 3.5 cents?
Do you shop for the lowest possible price on a vehicle, fuel, food and housing ?

 

[buickanddeere]

One of the big Iowa utilities generates about 50% of energy from wind. It is evidently profitable while it charges about 8 cent/kWh. BTW Berkshire Hathaway is the biggest shareholder of it.

Generates 50% of power sold or 50% of installed generating capacity is green .
We have you bettered than that. Today the wholesale price of power on the grid runs between 0.49 cents to 4.87 cents per KW hr. While we pay wind 13.5, gas 16.5 and solar 39.5 to 80.2 cents .
Wind and solar also make $$$ selling carbon credit$ or transferring carbon credits from one company division to another .

Without subsidies and tax credits wind and solar collapses. The attached link requires some time to read and assistance to the average Joe off the street for the terms , meanings and implications. https://judithcurry.com/2015/05/12/true-costs-of-wind-electricity/
The Federal energy tax credit of 30%.
A 1.5 tax credit.
No sales tax on equipment.
Property tax exemption.
Zero interest loans.
Rebates of $1000 per KW up to $5000 on land owner wind or solar.

 

[buickanddeere]

Speaking about subsidizing wind and solar. We are connected to small rural electric coop (In fact we are share holders). Since we are rural we have relatively expensive infrastructure per electric meter. Based on annual report the coop spends about $70-80 per meter per month for infrastructure maintenance and running the operation. I also know that there are many homes that have electric bill less than 80/month. So they are subsidized by people using more power. Shouldn't they be penalized because they heat with wood? The coop doesn't generate any power but buys it at approximately 3.5 cent/kWh and selling it for 11.3 cent/kWh. It should charge $80 month for infrastructure and 3.5 cent for power.
For some reason the management is hostile to alternative energy sources. No net metering is offered and in addition if you install PV they will cancel discounted rate for your electric heating. We generate about 30% more energy that we use but still have in average $177/month electric bill. So in fact we (our PV) are subsidizing those who use little electric power.

Have a read here with numbers from Forbes how wind has raised the cost of power paid by customers over 20%. Add to that the loss of state and federal tax revenue due to concessions for wind and solar. The state and Feds now have to tax elsewhere to make up the $$$. If that not a subsidy transferring costs from a energy producer to the ratepayer ?

Electricity Prices Soaring In Top Wind Power States

 

[buickanddeere]

The fact of the matter is the power generation business (that's what it is as they make a profit) is changing. New players are coming into effect and the old players need to adapt or get left behind. Yeah, it sucks for them that they invested billions in infrastructure, and now have to let others use it. The same thing happened to the phone company. Who paid for all those telephone poles that the cable company gets to hang their wires on, and then sell voice over data? That's the way the cookie crumbles.

Depends on whose Ox has been gored. The Governent for the good of the whole should be able to take over 1/2 of your property, farm it and give the food to needy.

 

[buickanddeere]

One of the big Iowa utilities generates about 50% of energy from wind. It is evidently profitable while it charges about 8 cent/kWh. BTW Berkshire Hathaway is the biggest shareholder of it.

We have utilities here whose 100% of thier installed capacity and 100% of output is wind . All subsidized rates above wholesale grid price too. Hydro One is forced to purchase that wind at 13.5 cents while at the same time whole price is less than zero to 4-5 cents.
Where is the sense in that?

 

[buickanddeere]

The DC or Ac controversy that resulted in going with Tesla's AC. There was quite a Brohaw between him an Edison I believe.

It was a classic case of human nature and frequently illustrated even here . Facts and reality become over looked or exaggerated . In order for somebody to satisfy the emotion of winning.
Every single soul here is guilty of that to some degree.
Edison and Tesla were two extremes. Tesla was a logical type given to fact and figures, not emotion. Tesla was lousy as both a business man and a showman.
Edison was so so at best technically with more perseverance than skill. Edison was however could read emotions , influence persons and run a business .
Edison appealed to the 90% of the population who make 90% of their decisions with emotion and 10% fact.
Tesla's AC power won out over Edison's DC only due to no amount of talk or peer pressure can change the laws of physics . Unlike other facts and truths that are "variable".