Over population/consumption in pictures.

Andy_WSM

Saw this posted on the Navitron forum by Rogeriko, thought I'd share here as it's so eye opening.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/gallery/2015/apr/01/over-population-over-consumption-in-pictures

tunnel

Is it just me or does the Spanish greenhouse picture look like one almighty solar farm?

Andy_WSM

tunnel wrote: »

Is it just me or does the Spanish greenhouse picture look like one almighty solar farm?

It does!

I've just spent a week in Spain visiting my Dad - although they do have solar farms, there are not nearly as many as you'd expect perhaps - and not as many as there are along the M5 corridor! Neither are there many house installs.

My guess is that although it's Sunnier in Spain it is also warmer which impedes the efficiency of Solar PV.

theboylard

A lot of small pv'ers in spain have removed the panels due to legislation introduced by the government. Each installation is now taxed on generation and the FiT subsidy ended prematurely in 2013 - thus killing the incentive to have solar pv.

There are numerous appeals but unless someone comes up with a smoking gun then the nuclear industry - 3 companies in particular - will benefit massively, to the detriment of the whole renewables sector in Spain.

Similar shenanigans have occured in other euro states.

Martyn1981

Andy_WSM wrote: »

It does!

I've just spent a week in Spain visiting my Dad - although they do have solar farms, there are not nearly as many as you'd expect perhaps - and not as many as there are along the M5 corridor! Neither are there many house installs.

My guess is that although it's Sunnier in Spain it is also warmer which impedes the efficiency of Solar PV.

Hiya Andy, it's worse than that. PV ticks all the boxes in Spain, good generation (about 50% more than the UK), a much more even split winter v's summer, and far more predictable (smoother) generation during the days. Plus their prices came down fast, and they have plenty of land. All good news so far.

But this absolutely scared the ...... out of the leccy companies, so they got a royal decree to charge PV'ers for dumping spare leccy onto the grid. The price is paid on all generation, not just export. This destroyed the PV industry. If you find this hard to believe, then it gets even worse, with some legislation that could potentially mean enormous fines to off-gridders for stealing sunlight.

Before you think I've gone completely barking mad, check out this Navitron thread (that I got a bit passionate on). The thread was started by stephendv who lives in Spain:

Legalised fraud in the Spanish energy reform

Whilst this has (so far) been devastating for Spanish solar, look on the bright side, PV's potential is so great, that even as soon as a couple of years ago, the leccy industry had to start fighting back, so 3/4 of the way there:-

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

Mahatma Gandhi

Mart.

Andy_WSM

Thanks Martyn, going to be an interesting lunchtime read!

Martyn1981 wrote: »

for stealing sunlight.

I hope the knobs that run the UK don't get sight of this...they just haven't thought of it yet!