When hydro power resources are built, it's a big dam, with big turbines and generators made to last decades. A dam and its power equipment is concentrated in one place. Other traditional power plants such as coal or natural gas are large installations of scale in concentrations.
Then we come to green power, which at this point consists primarily of solar or wind devices. I've got to wonder about the relative permanence of these generation devices.
1. Solar panels are claimed to be good for about 25, maybe 30 years. Most solar equipment hasn't been installed for that long yet, and now it's starting to be seen that maybe 15 to 20 year life might be a reality. Even it a panel in an array hasn't quit completely, its ability to general power declines over time. Yes, there are very large solar panel arrays in places like the Mojave Desert. Which consist of very many individual panels and switching devices, etc. All of which, while concentrated together, take a certain amount of monitoring and maintenance. Proponents of solar power call these maintenance free; but just cleaning the desert dust off panels will be a constant requirement. My point, it isn't just build it once and then you have free power forever after the cost recovery is achieved. Which is another area of contention, how long the payoff time is.
Re. individual home and building solar power units, same comment applies. But these are scattered all over Hell and begone, and will require maintenance calls to who knows how many individual sites. There is a budding career field in this scenario.
Home solar power generation has been touted as a way to sell excess power to the local utility. Which in many areas doesn't want the excess power; they want to sell electric power at retail to consumers, not buy power back from them.
Because of the money involved, there is a lot of hype and promotion going on for solar power units. Smart consumers really need to look at this situation carefully before committing to an expensive, major project. Projected estimates as to equipment longevity and cost recovery should be looked at with some degree of skepticism, I'd think.
Once a home solar project is engaged in, there can be unforeseen financial consequences. Because sometimes, expensive projects are financed and a lien is placed on real property. A prospective buyer of a home with solar equipment would want to check on this.
2. Windmills or similar wind powered devices. These things don't really have home or retail installation counterparts such as solar does. These are typically large institutional projects. That are scattered over a wide geographical area. The windmills or turbines are not static electrical devices like a solar panel. They are dynamic, electro-mechanical devices with big, moving parts. The blades fall off. The turning parts of the generator and gearing need looking after and sometimes downright break. The coating on the edges of the blades has a finite life and needs replacement. Power from these things is never going to be free, they will be a maintenance headache forever.
An inherent technical downside of solar and wind power generation is weather.
Then we come to green power, which at this point consists primarily of solar or wind devices. I've got to wonder about the relative permanence of these generation devices.
1. Solar panels are claimed to be good for about 25, maybe 30 years. Most solar equipment hasn't been installed for that long yet, and now it's starting to be seen that maybe 15 to 20 year life might be a reality. Even it a panel in an array hasn't quit completely, its ability to general power declines over time. Yes, there are very large solar panel arrays in places like the Mojave Desert. Which consist of very many individual panels and switching devices, etc. All of which, while concentrated together, take a certain amount of monitoring and maintenance. Proponents of solar power call these maintenance free; but just cleaning the desert dust off panels will be a constant requirement. My point, it isn't just build it once and then you have free power forever after the cost recovery is achieved. Which is another area of contention, how long the payoff time is.
Re. individual home and building solar power units, same comment applies. But these are scattered all over Hell and begone, and will require maintenance calls to who knows how many individual sites. There is a budding career field in this scenario.
Home solar power generation has been touted as a way to sell excess power to the local utility. Which in many areas doesn't want the excess power; they want to sell electric power at retail to consumers, not buy power back from them.
Because of the money involved, there is a lot of hype and promotion going on for solar power units. Smart consumers really need to look at this situation carefully before committing to an expensive, major project. Projected estimates as to equipment longevity and cost recovery should be looked at with some degree of skepticism, I'd think.
Once a home solar project is engaged in, there can be unforeseen financial consequences. Because sometimes, expensive projects are financed and a lien is placed on real property. A prospective buyer of a home with solar equipment would want to check on this.
2. Windmills or similar wind powered devices. These things don't really have home or retail installation counterparts such as solar does. These are typically large institutional projects. That are scattered over a wide geographical area. The windmills or turbines are not static electrical devices like a solar panel. They are dynamic, electro-mechanical devices with big, moving parts. The blades fall off. The turning parts of the generator and gearing need looking after and sometimes downright break. The coating on the edges of the blades has a finite life and needs replacement. Power from these things is never going to be free, they will be a maintenance headache forever.
An inherent technical downside of solar and wind power generation is weather.
