I was having a casual conversation a week or so ago at a sunny baseball game when someone excitedly mentioned to me that solar power is now competitive with conventional fuel generation prices. Here are the Department of Energy’s predictions for solar costs by 2016 as of December 2010 and here is its most recent update for 2017 installations.
Without confusing you with details on how these are calculated or what the problems with these calculations might be, let’s take the numbers at face value. The estimates of a year ago for what the “equivalent” cost of generating a kilowatt-hour of electricity using Solar Photovoltaic cells was 21.1 cents last year and 15.7 cents this year. (For comparison’s sake, the most advanced combined cycle gas generation plants can produce electricity for 6.6 cents per kilowatt hour, and fracking has caused the cost of the fuel input here to hit 30 year lows.) This sharp decrease is partly due to the sharp decline in the cost of making the solar panels themselves. However, over half of the cost of producing electricity using solar power comes from places other than the panels, and it is not at all clear what pace these costs might decrease, if at all.
But ignore that. Let’s be Cassandras today. Shouldn’t we be celebrating the end of Global Warming today? If it is true that solar is already competitive with conventional sources and it is poised to get even cheaper, and we also know that the “fuel” for solar generation is costless and carbon emissions free, then why are we not celebrating at each and every Memorial Day parade today the end of the most terrifying thing we have faced in our history? Great job everyone! Let’s move on to other worries, like figuring out how to remove my tongue from my cheek.
>> “I was having a casual conversation a week or so ago at a sunny baseball game when someone excitedly mentioned to me that solar power is now competitive with conventional fuel generation prices.”
If that were true, I would think they wouldn’t need subsidies. And energy companies would be tripping over themselves to build solar generation, wouldn’t they?
I thought everybody has been concerned with China making cheap solar panels. We should all be happy that that problem has been solved.
Forward, to solve the problem of global income redistribution and equalization.
I bet the Chinese will now abandon their frenetic construction of coal-fired power plants and cover their barren land with solar panels. That should shake up the many Chinese that still live in the stone age. Push that re-set button now!
“Zero PV Panel Cost: Solar Still Uneconomic” :
http://www.masterresource.org/2011/10/solar-power-cost-intermittency-too/
49274 897033Some really fascinating info , properly written and loosely user genial . 643079
770074 414160Techniques for dilution antimicrobial susceptibility beadlets for beagles that grow aerobically-fifth edition. 609063
961478 658310Hey mate, .This was an exceptional post for such a hard subject to talk about. I appear forward to seeing a lot of more superb posts like this 1. Thanks 106776
412655 560485Its a shame you dont have a donate button! Id most undoubtedly donate to this outstanding internet website! I suppose within the meantime ill be happy with bookmarking and putting your Rss feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will share this blog with my Facebook group: ) 413801
865733 706922Many thanks for this certain information I was basically browsing all Search engines to discover it! 495530
545337 677670The book is fantastic, but this review is not exactly spot-on. Being a Superhero is a lot more about selecting foods that heal your body, not just eating meat/dairy-free. Processed foods like those mentioned in this review arent what Alicia is trying to promote. In the event you arent open to sea vegetables (and yes, Im talking sea weed), just stop at vegan. 358175
Hmm is anyone else having problems with the images on this blog loading?
I’m trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
872865 653953Which is some inspirational stuff. Never knew that opinions may possibly be this varied. Thank you for all the enthusiasm to provide such beneficial data here. 891422
558728 875173Thank you for sharing with us, I conceive this website genuinely stands out : D. 724435
Hi! Quick question that’s totally off topic.
Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly?
My site looks weird when browsing from my apple iphone.
I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to fix this problem.
If you have any recommendations, please share.
Thank you!
I got this web page from my pal who informed me concerning this web
page and at the moment this time I am visiting this site
and reading very informative articles here.
Can you tell us more about this? I’d love to find out some additional information.
Good day! I could have sworn I’ve visited this blog
before but after going through many of the articles I realized it’s new to me.
Anyhow, I’m definitely happy I stumbled upon it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly!
What’s up to all, how is all, I think every
one is getting more from this website, and your views
are nice in support of new visitors.
Attractive component to content. I simply stumbled upon your website and
in accession capital to say that I acquire actually
loved account your weblog posts. Any way I will be subscribing to your feeds or even I
achievement you get admission to persistently rapidly.
Heya i am for the primary time here. I came across
this board and I to find It truly useful & it helped
me out a lot. I hope to present one thing back and aid others like you
helped me.
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my site so i came to “return the favor”.I am attempting to find things
to enhance my web site!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!
I am genuinely delighted to read this blog posts which
consists of tons of valuable data, thanks for providing these kinds of statistics.
113085 967960I believe this web site contains really superb composed articles posts . 17388
962940 452352I undoubtedly didnt understand that. Learnt some thing new nowadays! Thanks for that. 892303
It’s not my first time to pay a quick visit
this web page, i am visiting this web page dailly
and obtain good facts from here all the time.
I’m amazed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog
that’s both educative and engaging, and without
a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The issue is something not enough men and women are speaking
intelligently about. I’m very happy that I came across this in my hunt for something relating to this.
I am curious to find out what blog system you have been working with?
I’m having some small security issues with my
latest website and I would like to find something more
risk-free. Do you have any solutions?
919182 547906After study several of the content within your web site now, we genuinely such as your technique of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark internet site list and will also be checking back soon. Pls take a look at my web-site likewise and make me aware what you believe. 334710
Everything is very open with a really clear explanation of the issues.
It was definitely informative. Your site is very helpful.
Thanks for sharing!