Solar ... In the news

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  • EricMears
    EricMears Posts: 3,230
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    Martyn1981 wrote: »
    Of course all energy sources on Earth are fuelled by the Sun !

    Solar power is an obvious one and even wind comes from uneven sunshine moving air about or hydroelectric results from rainfall (and in turn wind). Wood etc rely on sunshine and even fossil fuels derive from historic sunshine. You might consider nuclear power to be an exception but there's every chance that any nuclear material on Earth derived from the Sun or an earlier star in much the same place.

    Arguably, fusion reactors might not depend directly on the Sun but I think we all know what the total net output of all fusion reactors has been so far (in case anyone doesn't, it's a negative quantity)
    NE Derbyshire.4kWp S Facing 17.5deg slope (dormer roof).24kWh of Pylontech batteries with Lux controller BEV : Hyundai Ioniq5
  • zeupater
    zeupater Posts: 5,353
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    EricMears wrote: »
    Of course all energy sources on Earth are fuelled by the Sun !

    Solar power is an obvious one and even wind comes from uneven sunshine moving air about or hydroelectric results from rainfall (and in turn wind). Wood etc rely on sunshine and even fossil fuels derive from historic sunshine. You might consider nuclear power to be an exception but there's every chance that any nuclear material on Earth derived from the Sun or an earlier star in much the same place.

    Arguably, fusion reactors might not depend directly on the Sun but I think we all know what the total net output of all fusion reactors has been so far (in case anyone doesn't, it's a negative quantity)
    Possibly excepting geo-thermal also ....

    .... then again, one could easily argue that all matter apart from hydrogen & helium exists only as a result of stellar fusion and therefore the point would need to be conceded - possibly on the grounds that if stellar fusion didn't exist we wouldn't be here to discuss the point, let alone have the compound mass required for geothermal ... whoops, a positive argument for solar power which no-one who regularly argues against solar power wouldn't be able to argue against on the grounds that without it they wouldn't be here .... :D

    Z
    "We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit. " ...... Aristotle
    B)
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    UK government U-turn on proposed solar tax hike
    After staring a party rebellion in the face, the U.K.’s Conservative Party says that it won’t oppose an amendment to the Budget, which exempts domestic solar panels from a VAT rise from 5% to 20%.

    If you can fight your way through the triple negative (won't, oppose, exempts) it seems that rise becomes no rise. Finally a bit of good news for the renewables sector in the UK.

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    China aiming to reach 143 GW PV capacity by 2020

    These numbers are getting seriously big, seriously fast!

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036
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    Martyn1981 wrote: »
    Finally a bit of good news for the renewables sector in the UK.

    Mart.


    Finally? Finally? Oh you poor souls.


    Your FIT payments + export etc are what? 50+p for every kWh generated - and no requirement to export anything if you can devise ways of using it in house!


    The whole solar industry has been on a gravy train for years.


    But of course your primary objective was to be 'Green' and help the environment.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Cardew wrote: »
    Finally? Finally? Oh you poor souls.

    You're starting to sound really bitter. Is that because PV is now cheaper than nuclear?

    Cardew wrote: »
    Your FIT payments + export etc are what? 50+p for every kWh generated - and no requirement to export anything if you can devise ways of using it in house!

    Actually, about 40p, and what has self consumption got to do with anything? Or are you concerned that I only get paid for 50% export, when I actually export 70%. Don't worry about it, I'm happy to help the environment.

    Cardew wrote: »
    The whole solar industry has been on a gravy train for years.

    Whilst your beloved nuclear industry has enjoyed 60 years of support already, and is coming back for another 35yrs, despite it already costing far more than PV already - £99/MWh (inflation adjusted for 2016) v's £80/MWh for a PV farm, and £68/MWh for domestic PV.

    Cardew wrote: »
    But of course your primary objective was to be 'Green' and help the environment.

    Yep.

    But do you really think you're in a position to lecture me, have you not mentioned your simply enormous levels of domestic energy consumption, your many family cruises, and travelling to your US property.

    With a monthly energy DD of £45, I think I'm doing ok, so shan't need your 'expertise'. ;)

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Cardew wrote: »
    Finally? Finally? Oh you poor souls.


    Your FIT payments + export etc are what? 50+p for every kWh generated - and no requirement to export anything if you can devise ways of using it in house!


    The whole solar industry has been on a gravy train for years.


    But of course your primary objective was to be 'Green' and help the environment.


    You make it sound like it's the only gravy train :)
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Here's a different approach to solar and heat. Interesting video, especially the bit about testing to 13,000 deep cycles without any loss of performance:-

    Heat batteries for PV in production at Scotland’s Sunamp


    Cost wise, looks like a tight call if DHW from gas, but something to follow, perhaps:-

    Sunamp PV flyer

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Something else I saw/read recently was an equity release (type thing) for PV, where you sell you future FiT and export rights for a cash sum. Effectively turning your system, into a leased system.

    I'm not posting any links, as I'm rather skeptical about the idea, but just to say it's out there. Don't get burned.

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Some simply staggering levels of potential PV deployment (rooftop) in the US:-

    New NREL study details US rooftop solar PV potential at 1,118GW plus
    The report stated that the technical potential of 1,118GW of capacity and 1,432TWh of annual energy generation was possible, equivalent to 39% of current US electricity sales. This is almost double (664GW - 800 TWh) the previous analysis undertaken and reported in 2008.

    The article doesn't make it clear if this is purely a theoretical figure, as I'd have thought that level of PV would cause major oversupply issues at peak generation times.

    However, I suppose if this is a long term figure, then storage may be able to solve this issue.

    Also, the deployment levels may be almost inevitable, given the cost reductions in PV generation as we move forward.

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
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