Just thought a thread for interesting snippets might be fun.
So.
Just on our news;
The solar industry employs 5 times as many people ,
as the coal industry ,
in the US

That's interesting
Wondered ,
but never knew.
Though I was well aware it is taking off , and becoming a viable alternative in some places.
(I was very tempted and could have , except for the cost of batteries over time being questionable)

Who knew

 

Most home photo-voltaic systems do not use batteries unless they are 100% off grid or non-grid tied, the newest series of panels is now the 3rd generation and is much more efficient at power production of you have them wired correctly. In the old configuration they were wired in series which meant that if 1 panel wen out the entire system went out and you had only the grid power available. Now with a system wired in parallel you can get around that issue from the start, all of the power runs into a main converter control box that can either power batteries or the excess is sent to the grid so that the power companies pay you, if your solar is not working you get full power from the grid just as most people do but the power you produced and sold offsets your purchase costs.
Here is an interesting article on the industry and its growth https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/12/us-solar-industry-employees-grows-oil-gas

 

So far I have seen the tiles in a barrel type tile like the old spanish clay type in red, grey, and black, the flat slate looking tiles only in a dark grey color, and there is supposed to be a panel system that resembles shingles out soon that are the final roof surface. All of these would be integrated into a roof almost seamlessly and over time would pay for itsself.

 

An Australian outfit has produced a poo powered car.
Yes a car that is powered by human poo.
Guess they're getting their shit together

I remember back in the 70's fuel shock days ,
when petroleum fuel was going to run out by 2,000 (definitely confirmed fact) , we had several hippie vehicles cruising around , with gas generators on back ,
and it was well known human poo was excellent feed stock for gas generation.

Let's face it , there's a guaranteed known supply , all already transported to a centralised collection point .
While much is already used to produce useful stuff ,
All of it should be.

It's a total no brainer to have any going to waste , and not producing at least one of it's potential products.
Of course it almost always can produce more than one , however its used.

Who knew

 

Gas generators aka gasifiers have been around since WW2, people in European nations or close to that were not active in the war had fuel shortages and many used the gassifiers to power cars and trucks using scraps of wood and even used toilet paper. I have seen the poo car and it is an oddity for sure but the basics are there and scientifically proven, burn any carbon material and it will produce combustible gasses. Same principal being the hydrogen engines and even the cooking oil powered diesels.

 

This might have something to do with it.


Dozens of Power Plants Closing Due to New EPA Rules

12/19/11

More than 32 mostly coal-fired power plants in a dozen states will be forced to shut down and another 34 might have to close because of new federal air pollution regulations, according to an Associated Press survey. Together, those plants produce enough electricity for more than 21 million households, but their demise is unlikely to cause homes to go dark. [M4M note: The houses of people who lost their jobs from the closings have felt pretty dark, I'm sure.]

The fallout will be most acute for the towns where power plant smokestacks long have cast a shadow. Tax revenues and jobs will be lost, and investments in new power plants and pollution controls probably will raise electric bills.

The AP surveyed electricity-generating companies about what they plan to do and the effects on power supply and jobs. It was the first survey of its kind.

The estimate also was based in part on EPA computer models that predict which fossil-fuel generating units are likely to be retired early to comply with the rules, and which were likely to be retired anyway.

The agency has estimated that 14.7 gigawatts, enough power for more than 11 million households, will be retired from the power grid in the 2014-15 period when the two new rules take effect.

Kentucky Utilities expects its customers to see as much as a 14 percent rate increase to make up for the $800 million it is spending to replace what will be retired, and the $1.1 billion it plans to spend on anti-pollution upgrades. Other power companies have applied to recoup the cost of retrofits or of building new gas-fired power plants. The EPA estimates that industry will spend $11 billion complying with the two rules by 2016.

For others, the biggest issue with plant retirements is the loss of property taxes. As plants wind down and close, their assessed value drops, reducing what they pay to local governments.

In Salem, Mass., Dominion plans to retire two units at the Salem Harbor Station later this year, a move that could halve the plant's workforce in a town famous for its 17th century witch trials and where the major business is tourism.

The loss of its 50-year-old power plant poses two dilemmas: how to replace its biggest taxpayer and what to do with the 60 acres of waterfront property when the plant is gone.

"It's not like losing a Dunkin' Donuts," said Mayor Kim Driscoll, noting that attractions such as Baltimore's Inner Harbor took decades to redevelop from abandoned industrial property.

For the next five years, Salem will make up for Dominion's dwindling $4.75 million tax bill with state money, but after that the future is unclear.

"It's a big chunk of change when you're looking at we still have the same number of kids in school, we still have the same number of calls for police and fire, we have the same number of parks and resources that need to be maintained and kept up," Driscoll said. "That's not to say there aren't folks locally that are happy with the fact that a coal-based plant won't be here forever. There are certainly folks here that see it as a way for Salem to flourish in other ways."

 

Yes. The Green Movement is motivated by money.

And every single bit of it is financed by tax payer funded welfare.

If the solar/electric industry were left to market forces, it would cease to exist within one fiscal quarter.

 

I don't know about the rest of the country, but in New England, Solar City and the other tax payer funded solar panel companies are having a hard time of it. They can barely give the things away.

The trouble is that solar panels reduce home values.

By a lot.

The problem we have here is that animals live under them. Not only do they use them to get into houses, but they also eat the cables and cause fires.

The solar companies are trying to get around the problem by giving panels to entire neighborhoods, which must set some clear land aside for the panels. Then, the theory goes, the neighborhood shares the savings. But they also share the cost. And the co-op needs a formal organization, just like a condo association, to handle the problems that arise when maintenance is required, or when a member needs to sell a house, or when a buyer refuses to participate.

There are enough earthy-crunchy nutjobs around to keep the companies running, but nowhere near enough.

I'm wondering if other parts of the country are developing buyers' remorse the way we are, now that taxpayer funded solar panel giveaways are becoming more prevalent.

 

It's funny how technical problems can be solved when it comes to fracking but where solar energy is concerned technical problems give Clarise an excuse the scrap the whole thing!

LOLOL.......you hypocrite Clarise!

Thinskin

 

I think the solar generating roof shingles are a great idea.

 

It's not a technical problem to be solved. It is simply a fact that they reduce home values. People don't want them. And to make matters worse, it's nearly impossible to scrap them without wrecking the entire roof. So, just to sell a house, you're looking at replacing the asphalt shingles, which in our area can run $20,000 for a modest house.

But as for scrapping them: I'm not saying that at all. What I'm saying is, remove all the subsidies and incentives. Let the market decide.

At no time in history has so much money been "invested" in such an inefficient energy model. There is no good sense in it, and no way to justify it, unless you buy into the premise that the waste is made necessary by imminent ecological catastrophe.

I am not one of Pope Albert the First's faithful. I am a global warming heretic. Therefore, solar makes zero sense to me. And I deeply resent that my tax dollars are propping it.

 

Not over here they don't they actually increase the value of the house!

Now excuse me because it is more interesting to go and watch my electricity meter running backwards in this sunny weather than it is talking to you Clarise!

Admittedly that was not always so but your repertoire is somewhat limited of late!

Thinskin

 

Well that's great for you then. You are excused.

 

I had some buyers remorse with the 2012 Chevy Volt. I gave it two years and took a loss. I'm currently looking at the new 2018 Ford Focus. The price is high for a Focus $30,000. Canadian. $35,000. with leather. A $10,000 government rebate got my attention though. I'll give electric another shot.

 

The whole hilarious thing is that you all worship Margaret Thatcher, who was known for destroying the coal industry and putting tons of people on the dole, decimating entire towns.....because she thought it was too expensive and outdated.

Now you're suggesting, years later, that we keep using outdated technology for the sake of jobs.

 

Talk about an arrogant cunt

 

The whole premise of this is false. In what world does an upgrade to a home reduce its value...oh, in the alternate reality of clarise.

Please consult a realtor before selling a home...

 

If people would just do some research on electricity and it's use they could drop their electric bill without investing a cent, not investing in wind or solar.
Check with your electric provider to see if they have a time of use plan. The cost of electricity is higher during peak hours when people are using more electricity and cheaper during off peak times. If they have a time of use plan you can save quite a bit on your electric bill by using the appliances that use the most electricity at off peak times.

People often think that if they can sell electricity back to the power company they get the same price for it as they are charged by the energy company. In most cases that is not true. They will pay you the same as it costs them to make it. Then they can sell it back to you at the higher rate.

Almost every state in the U.S. with the exception of Texas, is connected to the grid. All states are connected together. You may have a large power plant three miles down the road from you but they may be selling their power to people in another state. Every electric provider is allowed to only make a certain % of profit on the energy they sell. They try to use the higher cost fuels to produce their electricity so they can charge a higher price. If they use a larger % of low cost fuel they will have to lower the price of electricity.

Large turbines and generators can not be started and stopped when the demand for electricity changes. They can take days to stop and days to start. Electric companies try to keep their large turbines running at a steady pace and use smaller cheaper units to increase their supply when needed. Many times that is where hydro comes in. A hydro unit can be started and stopped several times a day. The power companies can call up ten minutes before the hour and want 120 megawatts over the hour. That means in ten minutes the hydro unit can go from a dead stop to running and providing 120 megawatts the next hour. Hydro is much cheaper than other fuels and the power companies do not use them unless they have to do as they would be forced to lower their price of electricity. Also, during the spring rains many hydro power plants go on dump power. They run water through the hydro units and give it to power companies at no cost just to get rid of the excess water. Tis can last as long as the rains last. The power company does not have to figure this zero cost of electricity into it's cost of fuel.

 

A coal train rumbling across Montana is a mile and a half (2.4 kilometers) long yet carries barely a day's fuel for a large power plant. The U.S. burns more than a billion tons of coal a year.


Who knew

 

BY BEN SCHILLER1 MINUTE READ
If you want do something about the United States’ contribution to climate change, you can’t ignore the power sector: 6,000 plants produce 41% of carbon dioxide emissions in the country. But, most of all, you can’t ignore the most polluting plants: the 50 dirtiest produce 2% of all energy-related emissions worldwide, or more than the total output of all but six countries. This select group of power plants bears greater responsibility for climate change than major nations like South Korea and Canada.

* *
The dirtiest of all is Plant Scherer, in Georgia, which releases more energy-related emissions than the entire state of Maine. Plant Scherer is followed by Alabama Power’s James H Miller Jr. Plant, Luminant’s Martin Lake in Texas, Ameren’s Labadie in Missouri, and NRG Energy’s W A Parish, also in Texas (they are all coal-burning). Texas, Ohio, and Florida have the highest power sector CO2 emissions out of all the states.