Re: Wind Solar unreliable compared to Gas Coal Nuclear

"Jim Wilkins" <[email protected]> wrote in message 
news:[email protected]...
> "Scout"  wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> Ok.. and how much are you going to spend on getting and maintaining such a
> system?
>
> How large will it need to be to charge your EV each day as well?
>
> So now you're effectively paying twice as much for electricity.. what was
> the benefit again?
>
> ---------------------------------
>
> The break-even point to operate my system is between $0.20 and $0.30 per 
> KWH, depending on claimed vs realized battery life, which in turn depends 
> on how much I can squeeze from them with monitoring and careful 
> maintenance.

Given in most areas rates are far below that. I think I'm paying $0.135 per 
kWhr right now.

It would take a rather large increase in rates to even make such a system 
viable, assuming your assumptions work out.

You could also take a bath if a hail storm comes through 3 years later and 
wipes out 90% of your panels.. How long would it then take to even think of 
breaking even?

> Lead-acids have lasted me up to 15 years. It will never repay its capital 
> cost (which was less than a riding mower) but neither will a backup 
> generator, they are for independent reliability rather than economics.

Yes, but I can get a backup generator for a small fraction of the cost of a 
solar system, and have much greater reliability when I need it. Since all I 
really have to buy is a the generator head, and a few bits to adapt it to my 
tractor and safe guard my tractor for unmonitored use (low oil pressure and 
high temperature shut off primarily). I think the cost when I got it was 
$600 for a 10kW unit delivered. Some welding, a bit of scrap mental, and 
maybe about $150 in drive shaft, sprockets, chain, bearings and such.
Best part is the whole thing is totally portable and I can now have serious 
electric power anywhere I need. Let's me use a small light cheap electric 
chain saw instead of a much heavier and more expensive conventional one for 
cutting brush and small trees when clearing fence lines and such. Need to 
build something I can now have power on site without having the expense or 
delay of trying to get in a temporary power hookup.