Is solar green?

[DanKegel]

You are almost correct. When you hit your ROI point of a solar pv system you then start to save more money then you spent. But if you figured in all of the carbon released to manufacture your pv system and install it your carbon footprint will not go to zero until years after your system pays for itself.

Last I checked, the energy payback time -- and the carbon payback time -- were both under four years.

Yes, there is that paper by the guy who likes nuclear power that says differently, but he's smoking crack; he says nuclear power plants last three times longer than solar panels.

[Sunking]

Yes, there is that paper by the guy who likes nuclear power that says differently, but he's smoking crack; he says nuclear power plants last three times longer than solar panels.

And how is that not a true statement?

[DanKegel]

It's an example of choosing assumptions to fit your bias, I think. He seems to be assuming the nuclear plant is maintained, but the solar one isn't.

[jflorey2]

Yes, there is that paper by the guy who likes nuclear power that says differently, but he's smoking crack; he says nuclear power plants last three times longer than solar panels.

That is a factual statement. Nuclear power plants do, on average, last significantly longer than solar power plants. The average age of nuclear power in the US is 35 years; the average age of solar plants is far, far less.

In the future, solar power plant lifetimes may increase once long-term reliability data on solar installations becomes available,and as the plants themselves age. However, since nuclear power plants are also having their licenses extended, the ratio may not change significantly.

[oilerlord]

I can go snowboarding in the morning, go surfing in the afternoon and then hit the best breweries in the world at night. Top that! (AND still pay $15 a month for all the power I need.)

Boom. (Insert microphone dropping sound). Battle clearly over. Other guy pays at least $175 (probably over $200 including transmission, disti, local access and other fees) on 2500kWh while jflorey2 lives large by day and enjoys the best breweries in the world by night - all on the sun's dime while simultaneously sticking it to the man.

No contest.

[SunEagle]

Boom. (Insert microphone dropping sound). Battle clearly over. Other guy pays at least $175 (probably over $200 including transmission, disti, local access and other fees) on 2500kWh while jflorey2 lives large by day and enjoys the best breweries in the world by night - all on the sun's dime while simultaneously sticking it to the man.

No contest.

Ah to be young again with only fun things to think about in life like breweries and sticking it to the man.

[Sunking]

Ah to be young again with only fun things to think about in life like breweries and sticking it to the man.

Yeah then Dad quits giving you bar money and kicks your dead beat butt out the door.

[oilerlord]

Yeah then Dad quits giving you bar money and kicks your dead beat butt out the door.

The poco savings = beer money,..let's leave his dad out of it. Point is, you tried to belittle what he's doing - except he was the one that ended up kicking butt. Battle lost. Own it. Learn from it.

[SunEagle]

The poco savings = beer money,..let's leave his dad out of it. Point is, you tried to belittle what he's doing - except he was the one that ended up kicking butt. Battle lost. Own it. Learn from it.

Uh. I can think of a lot better things then what jflorey2 has mentioned but then again I am much older and have different goals that I consider fun.

So I think it is great that he has found a great place to live and is able to justify solar pv and save money.

But then again I don't pay anywhere near as much for electricity, food, water, fuel, taxes, medical costs, to name a few that most people that live in CA pay compared to what people in Florida pay.

[J.P.M.]

Uh. I can think of a lot better things then what jflorey2 has mentioned but then again I am much older and have different goals that I consider fun.

So I think it is great that he has found a great place to live and is able to justify solar pv and save money.

But then again I don't pay anywhere near as much for electricity, food, water, fuel, taxes, medical costs, to name a few that most people that live in CA pay compared to what people in Florida pay.

That's the price we pay to not follow cars that don't know their turn signals are on. Florida = God's waiting room.

[SunEagle]

That's the price we pay to not follow cars that don't know their turn signals are on. Florida = God's waiting room.

Been there and seen that. Price I have to pay living in paradise.

I am actually in Myrtle Beach SC this weekend taking some time off but still have to deal with drivers not paying attention to what they are doing.

The madness must be spreading.

[J.P.M.]

The madness must be spreading.

I've had friends tell me it's hereditary: You get it from your kids.

[oilerlord]

To answer the OP's question. Yes, solar is green.

Solar has made my home become grid neutral. I export the majority of the the solar power generated during the day that in turn, powers homes in my neighborhood. Less coal burned to power the grid = green.

Over the course of 100,000 miles, my EV will not burn 4000 gallons of gasoline, or require oil changes. Instead it runs on sunshine. Sunshine = green.

[SunEagle]

To answer the OP's question. Yes, solar is green.

Solar has made my home become grid neutral. I export the majority of the the solar power generated during the day that in turn, powers homes in my neighborhood. Less coal burned to power the grid = green.

Over the course of 100,000 miles, my EV will not burn 4000 gallons of gasoline, or require oil changes. Instead it runs on sunshine. Sunshine = green.

I am glad solar is working for you. Although there will be times you will need the electricity from other power sources that will not as "green" as solar.

[jflorey2]

To answer the OP's question. Yes, solar is green.

Well, production of solar-PV requires a lot of dopants that are pretty nasty, and there's a lot of waste produced during the process. In addition, the frames and glass take a tremendous amount of energy. So the more accurate statement would be that solar is greenER than some other forms of power (like fossil.)

That's true of all forms of power. None are truly benign. Some, though, are much worse than others.