BY PANOS PREVEDOUROS PHD – Bjørn Lomborg recently exposed Germany’s Sunshine Daydream. It’s the same daydream that Governor Abercrombie, PUC Chair Mina Morita and the local pseudo-greens have put in motion for Hawaii.
Like Germany, our results will be pathetic and the costs will be very high. Here are some highlights of Germany’s failed solar initiative:
- Despite the massive investment of $130 Billion, solar power accounts for only about 0.3% of Germany’s total energy.
- Germany is paying about $1,000 per ton of CO2 reduced. The current CO2 price in Europe is $8.
- Defenders of Germany’s solar subsidies also claim that they have helped to create “green jobs”. In China where the panels are made.
- German citizens now pay the second-highest price for electricity in the developed world.
- Denmark citizens now pay the highest price for electricity because they are the “world wind-energy champion.”
- Hawaii’s energy plan is focused on solar and wind, so we clearly know what the energy supply and cost future will be for Hawaii.
Hawaii citizens pay the same rate as Germany now, three (3) times the US average and if the current plan continues, Hawaii’s price for electricity will be five (5) times higher that mainland US.
However, this may be the least of Hawaii’s problem. Since wind and solar are intermittent, we will need to maintain archaic, oil burning generators for ever. In contrast, Denmark imports electricity from the hydroelectric plants of Scandinavia when wind dies down, and Germany imports electricity from France’s nuclear power plants. Hawaii has no such options so the outcome will be brown outs and explosive KWh cost. A true lose-lose plan is now in the works.
IF you doubt me, just read this PBN article dated March 7, 2012: Keahole Solar Power, HECO sign power-purchase agreement and compare it with my June 27, 2011 assessment (same company): Solar Power Plant on Oahu Does not Pass Muster
If you think that Hawaii has perfectly sunny conditions for solar, you’d be wrong. It has good conditions but far from perfect due to frequent cloudiness. Compare the Nevada desert clean solar pattern with Keahole Point on Oahu cloudy profile.
Let’s not forget that at best we get 8 to 10 hours of solar power per day, so with solar we need oil 60% to 70% of the time on a clear sunny day. For this reason, solar energy has a capacity factor of 25%. This means that a 100 MW solar photovoltaic plant is equivalent to a 25 MW oil or hydroelectric plant. A similar “capacity factor” applies to wind.
Solar thermal, like the Keahole Solar Power that HECO agreed to buy energy from and PUC is likely to rubber stamp, is defunct technology abandoned in Spain which once championed it, and by Google.
Google cans solar energy project
Even when you have all the money of Google, you should spend it wisely. The search giant, which invests heavily in renewable energy initiatives, backed off of at least one of them yesterday.
Google said it is dropping development of “solar thermal” electricity because solar thermal cannot keep pace with the rapid price decline of another solar technology – photovoltaics.
On November 29, 2011, I sent the article about Google’s decision to PUC chair Mina Morita, Governor and State Legislature. Apparently, unlike Google, they did not care to spend money wisely.
HECO is in a position of technological and cost-effectiveness indifference caused by mandates. It agreed to a power purchase at 33.5 cents per KWh from hyper-expensive and under-performing Sopogy technology. Note that’s 33.5 cents per KWh at the production site. It will reach residences at over 50 cents per KWh, or five times US mainland average. So the exorbitant pricing future I was talking about before… is here already!
PUC chair Mina Morita, Governor and State Legislature received this article on March 16, 2012.
Hawaii's energy plan is focused on solar and wind, so we clearly know what the energy supply and cost future will be for Hawaii Solar Panel Installation
Solar thermal, like the Keahole Solar Power that HECO agreed to buy energy from and PUC is likely to rubber stamp, is defunct technology abandoned in Spain which once championed it, and by Google.
Germany's Solar Failure is a Big Lesson for Hawaii to fullfill all requirment of Solar Installtion
nice post
Solar energy heat, like the Keahole Solar energy Power that HECO decided to buy energy from and PUC is likely to rubberized seal, is defunct technological innovation discontinued in Italy which once championed it, and by Search engines.
"It has to allow separate comfort auditors to examine the organization for the next 20 decades
Denmark imports energy from the wave energy vegetation of Scandinavia when breeze passes away down, and Malaysia imports energy from France's atomic energy vegetation. Hawaii islands has no such choices so the result will be brownish outs and intense KWh cost. A real lose-lose plan is now in the performs.
And our Us chief executive wants to "double-down" on renewables – especially solar, breeze and ethanol? Oh, I did not keep in thoughts, and plankton. The govt needs to level aside and allow the 100 % 100 % 100 % free industry to function. Quit burdening us with all the investing that is gong nowhere.
Screen technological innovation heat, like the Keahole Screen technological innovation Energy that HECO determined to buy power from and PUC is likely to rubber closing, is defunct technological innovation stopped in Italy which once championed it, and by Google.
Even when you have all the money of Look for look for engines, you should spend it wisely. The look for large, which usually spends extremely in power tasks, reinforced off of at least one of them yesterday.
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