Re: Wind Solar unreliable compared to Gas Coal Nuclear

"Scout"  wrote in message news:[email protected]...
"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.

---------------------------------

The rate here is presently $0.22 / KWH and was $0.33 during the previous 
billing cycle. A rough measurement of electricity vs gasoline for my small 
inverter generator showed nearly $1 per KWH.

The worst case I plan for is a blizzard with ice forming on everything, 
which limits outdoor generator use because I don't have a fireproof covered 
but ventilated space for one away from the house, and may not be able to get 
to it without risking a fall, at my age a serious consideration. Clearing 
the path to the woodshed can be slow and difficult enough. I don't 
completely trust rubber fuel lines not to crack and leak, or carb float 
valves not to stick and flood the ground.

I gassed the motorcycle at a station I'd never used before, and when I 
stopped at work smelled gas; the carbs were overflowing. The gas had been 
wet and picked up rust which condensed out into balls like kidney stones in 
the engine-warmed carburetors and blocked the float valves from closing. I 
had to disassemble and clean the four carbs on my lab bench.

I saved a failed alternator to rebuild and connect to the PTO on my tractor 
to have battery 12V for the winch and inverter 120V for tools. I haven't 
bothered to do it because the only remote power I've needed was compressed 
air at the sawmill, from a long hose back to the house. The trees here are 
mature oaks, much too big for an electric chainsaw. A 20" bar is barely 
enough.