When Will Green Energy Become Cost Competitive?

As soon as non 'green' energy gets too expensive...

Drew K

Not in my lifetime.

http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=58&t=8

n the mean time.......... there is aloot of money in government grants and unsecured low interest loans to be made off of green energy development, ^{or perceived development}

And with wind.......... well subsidized. But at least this way you actually get something back.

1. actual development
2. and a unit that may/can eventually give a ROI

Wind power has proven highly viable here in North Dakota.

The major limitations we have had is limited transmission line capacity for the wind power but so far in the last 5 or so years our state along with neighboring states have been putting in thousands of miles of new high capacity lines to make up for it.

That and too many days a year where the wind speeds are above the safe operating limits of the wind turbines so they get shut down and parked.

Wind works well here.

I hear a lot of things work well in ND

In Wisconsin, they are becoming very popular, so much in fact that the tree huggers are protesting them because it kills birds and creates too much noise pollution.

Can't win.

But the farmers love them, best money making crop they have. (money made from land lease from the land the power company's have their towers on).

Not to mention the price of corn they get for ethanol

One company in Manitowoc, WI that manufacturers the towers is just booming and is having a hard time keeping up with supply.

Of course they work well here. Our state government is made up almost entirely of common people who worked as farmers, ranchers, and businessmen for most of their lives.

That and most every radical environmentalist is seen as being a social outcast helps a bunch too.

Solars not worth crap here though.

"having a hard time keeping up with supply."

I mean keeping up with demand..... not supply.

I am a honest to truth english class flunkie who got passed primary on my being a very determined PITA for my teachers through school.

I barely noticed.

LoL, I noticed...but didn't care enough to correct him...I think we all understood what was being said.

Good thing E.R. didn't see it though!

Drew K

Some aren't so forgiving....... I don't mind being corrected. Who's er ?

ER is English Rose, who hasn't posted very often recently, and is watchful about language composition.

Of course.........

In high school English............ D+ .... And it shows...... When I got to college. Then I began to care because I had to.

Yes. It all depends on your location and climate. Even with the right terrain it also depends on the energy capture method used. Old dams and water turbines can create tremendous ecological changes to a river. Redesigns though can return life to the river with only modest reductions in power outputs.

GA tcmtech:

There are different technologies that work as long as they are used in the proper context or environment.

Government beauracrats think that if something works one place it should work everywhere. They are just a bunch of incompetant boobs who should, for the most part, be sent packing home without any loot they have robbed from the public coffers.

Shortly.

Falling prices of PV panels would lead to large scale use, and will mean that there would be surplus energy on the planet earth, by 2015 at the latest. Other developments such as off shore wind, would take a back seat.

2015 cannot possibly be correct.

He's forgetting about political gamesmanship and sour grapes.

Obama dumped billions into "green" energy, and most of the companies failed...now it's time to punish someone.

We could all have solar panels on our roofs, but there is no real interest in allowing people to become self sufficient.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-17/u-s-solar-tariffs-on-chinese-cells-may-boost-prices.html

No, now it's do it all over again........ With more billions....

I have serious doubts about that.

I have been hearing that solar power will become cheap and competitive since I first started taking an interest in AE/RE back in highschool in the early 90's and so far it has yet to happen.