They’re paneling paradise to put up solar — A lot

[rebewranger]

They’re paneling paradise to put up solar — A lot
By CFACT Ed |July 16th, 2022|Energy|7 Comments
BY STEVE MILLER:

The pathway to a green future involves taking millions of acres of pristine wilderness and turning them into fields of windmills and hot expanses of glistening panels.

The Biden Administration’s goal of supplying 40% of the nation’s energy from the sun by 2035 means covering millions of acres of forest and desert habitat with vast solar panel installations fenced off like prisons. It would require 8,800 square miles of land, or 5.6 million acres, to generate that power (leaving out small installations on buildings and the like) — about the size of Rhode Island and Massachusetts combined.

But the push to convert that land from pastoral to energy-productive is galvanizing a new environmental movement, one led by citizen groups and small non-profits rather than the monied green interests arrayed against them — ones ironically accustomed to casting the fossil fuel industry in the role of the ecological heavy.

https://www.cfact.org/2022/07/16/theyre-paneling-paradise-to-put-up-solar-a-lot/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=theyre-paneling-paradise-to-put-up-solar-a-lot

[Kamaji]

In other words, devastating consequences to the environment.

[Smokin Joe]

In contrast, In the Williston Basin (Bakken/Three Forks) we can drill eight horizontal wells, four producing from each of two formations under two square miles of land (or more) and do that from what will become a three or four acre production pad.

[SZonian]

West of us, they've "paneled" the desert and air quality is suffering as a result due to no dust abatement measures put in place.

Winds are generally out of the West and pick up the dust along with Valley Fever fungal spores...the number of cases is rising, but no one gives a damn.

There's now a movement to declare Joshua Trees endangered due to them constantly being plowed under to make way for solar panels.

[roamer_1]

The obvious and only solution forward for solar would not be centralized plants... but rather a distributed system - Firstly, Solar panels on existing roofs would be dropping that energy as close as possible to the consumer first (when possible) That is best use with least loss. Secondly, A distributed system would be incredibly hard to take out. Extremely robust and durable. Thirdly, a distributed system would be easiest to conform to existing grid - The house they are on would be their first consumer, so transmission would be far less, and thus far less weight on the grid.

If they were really concerned for the environment. and really concerned with the people, and easy conversion to 'green energy', a distributed system is the obvious solution.

The solution they are NOT using.

[Smokin Joe]

The obvious and only solution forward for solar would not be centralized plants... but rather a distributed system - Firstly, Solar panels on existing roofs would be dropping that energy as close as possible to the consumer first (when possible) That is best use with least loss. Secondly, A distributed system would be incredibly hard to take out. Extremely robust and durable. Thirdly, a distributed system would be easiest to conform to existing grid - The house they are on would be their first consumer, so transmission would be far less, and thus far less weight on the grid.

If they were really concerned for the environment. and really concerned with the people, and easy conversion to 'green energy', a distributed system is the obvious solution.

The solution they are NOT using.

Hail. NO, not Hell, but Hail. Whole neighborhoods in town got new roofs because of hail up to 3" in diameter. A recent (dark red on radar) storm dropped baseball sized hail in some areas and took out car windshields and windows.

Those panels won't handle that.

As for me, my roof apex runs N/S, so only half would be lit at any time but noon, and then from the south. No direct incidence angle unless you prop them up, and with occasional winds pushing hurricane force, they wouldn't be likely to stay, and would rip the roof off when they went.

[roamer_1]

Hail. NO, not Hell, but Hail. Whole neighborhoods in town got new roofs because of hail up to 3" in diameter. A recent (dark red on radar) storm dropped baseball sized hail in some areas and took out car windshields and windows.

Those panels won't handle that.

They would not handle it any better in an array at a centralized plant. In fact, a distributed system would be more robust against catastrophic events because it is distributed.
 

As for me, my roof apex runs N/S, so only half would be lit at any time but noon, and then from the south. No direct incidence angle unless you prop them up, and with occasional winds pushing hurricane force, they wouldn't be likely to stay, and would rip the roof off when they went.

That is precisely what you want - a south facing roof. And angle is less important that it used to be - Granted, it would perform best with an optimum angle - but most roof mounts are not angled, and lay flat.

That being said, snow load is a thing. A friend of mine built a steel superstructure that operates to 90 degrees to dump the snow off - and incidentally functions  to increase angle in the winter time for more optimal use - Important this far north. Winter production is very limited anyway.

Still most installations around here are big enough that they tend to be fixed - even if they are not on a roof.

[Smokin Joe]

They would not handle it any better in an array at a centralized plant. In fact, a distributed system would be more robust against catastrophic events because it is distributed.
 
That is precisely what you want - a south facing roof. And angle is less important that it used to be - Granted, it would perform best with an optimum angle - but most roof mounts are not angled, and lay flat.

That being said, snow load is a thing. A friend of mine built a steel superstructure that operates to 90 degrees to dump the snow off - and incidentally functions  to increase angle in the winter time for more optimal use - Important this far north. Winter production is very limited anyway.

Still most installations around here are big enough that they tend to be fixed - even if they are not on a roof.

You misunderstood. The roof faces east and West, the ridgeline runs N/S. Worst possible combination, especially at 48 degrees N latitude.

[roamer_1]

You misunderstood. The roof faces east and West, the ridgeline runs N/S. Worst possible combination, especially at 48 degrees N latitude.

Ahh. That's right. You'd have to put it on a stand-alone frame.

[Smokin Joe]

Ahh. That's right. You'd have to put it on a stand-alone frame.

Yeah, and there just isn't room for that. Maybe the model T garage, but that doesn't have power at present.

[roamer_1]

Yeah, and there just isn't room for that. Maybe the model T garage, but that doesn't have power at present.

 

It's all speculation anyway. Incidental. What I am saying is that a distributed system would be a better method than giant solar plants. The same for wind, btw. Small turbines at every home would probably create more power than all those monster windmills in their vast fields.

Seeya Smoke. I been up all night coding again. So tired the monitor's blurring out. I am heading for the crib.