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08/06/22
14:47
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Originally posted by Alejandro1:
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As long as batteries are there to hold a charge they are in use and deteriorating appropriately. Once batteries are charged, all additional power produced by the renewable system is lost. If not enough is produced to charge the battery system to full it would be deemed to be too large and a waste of resources since it would deteriorate at the same rate regardless if it has a 10% or 90% charge. Lifespan for the battery system is 5 - 15 years. System is highly inefficient because these battery systems are not small, batteries are extremely heavy and use some highly toxic acids that if not recycled and disposed of properly create catastrophic environmental consequences. These battery systems designed to feed the grid weigh hundreds of tons combined. This system has to be replaced every 10 or so years compared to a coal power plant that has a lifespan of 50 years and uses primarily Iron for construction which is much more environmentally friendly than all the precious rare earths, minerals and acids required for renewables. Wind power is extremely copper intensive which is not viable or efficient as a means of power generation both financially and in terms of environmental friendliness. The death of numerous native bird life is one example of this along with extra mining and processing required for production. Wind farms have a lifespan of 20-30 years and also need batteries. Solar panels have a lifespan of 25-30 years but their power output starts to fade after the first few years. You can already see the environmental catastrophe they have created with the hundreds of tons of solar panels coming up for recycling now. With no government hand outs this industry is not only dead but killing the environment in the process. Stripping and sorting solar panels for recycling is a highly costly exercise and is not cost effective so they generally end up in land fill. Coal plants just get stripped down and the iron is melted down and reused, majority of the plant is recycled efficiently. Another not often mentioned issue with renewable is the increased power loss from increased number of power transfer points. eg, to battery, battery to inverter, inverter to transformer, transformer to grid (analyzing the manufacturing process also adds to this). Increased electrical connection points add to losses also. Compared to coal power it is more inefficient but at least you cant see smoke coming out of a solar panel right? Classic marketing ploy to win over the simpletons and increase business income for companies with renewable technology. Renewables are arguably the biggest marketing campaign in the world. We will find out in years from now how bad they are for us, similar to what happened to the tobacco industry. Adding to the solar/wind system inefficiency is the fact that it cannot produce continually. Constant stop start of a power generation system produces increased loss of power and wears down the system faster, produces increased power loss, requires more maintenance, hence the shorter lifespan. Without government handouts the renewable industry is dead. It cannot sustain itself or generate industrial grade power to manufacture itself. Solar and wind power has its place in the world. It can sustain small households in remote areas or portable systems like camper vans where grid power is unavailable. As a replacement for the grid it is not appropriate and will create much suffering. For disclosure I am an Electrical Engineer turned full time investor. Have a good day.
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The issue is very simple here. Whether you believe in man made climate change or not, waiting to see who’s argument is right, is a recipe for disaster should the modeling prove correct. And if the modeling is wrong, then Renewables were simply the equivalent of paying an insurance policy. Therefore moving away from Coal to renewables is logical notwithstanding some of the issues you point out. I personally am not entirely convinced on the CO2 story, but understand we need an insurance policy, and therefore support renewables. Carbon Capture would have been the utopian solution for Coal, but sadly for all the talk over the decades very little has been achieved.