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On The Path to 100% Renewables
More news on renewables:
Renewable energy provides 82% of all new US electrical generating capacity in first Q 2013: http://www.nationofchange.org/renewable-energy-provides-82-percent-all-new-us-electrical-generating-capacity-first-quarter-2013-13
13 countries got more than 30% of their electricity from renewable sources in 2011: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/sunday-review/life-after-oil-and-gas.html (lots more stats in this one, too)
Some examples of places going 100% renewable already, or planning to: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/04/100-percent-renewable-vision-building
On The Path to 100% Renewables
Mario, that's wonderful, thanks for sharing! I'm glad to see an example of using a combination of renewables so successfully. And it's relevant to the comment I just posted, given that Costa Rica does not spend money on wars.
Not all countries can make such extensive use of hydropower, but different combinations of renewables can work in different places.
On The Path to 100% Renewables
Speaking of costs, David Roberts asks, renewables are too expensive compared to what? See his post on how far we could have gotten with the money we've spent on the Iraq war: http://grist.org/climate-energy/for-the-price-of-the-iraq-war-the-u-s-could-have-gotten-halfway-to-a-renewable-power-system/
On The Path to 100% Renewables
Hi IK,
Yes, political will is a key missing ingredient. Storage is always getting better, and a mix of different types of renewables -- not just wind and solar -- generated in a more distributed way will help a lot. That has the added benefit of more local control of power, plus benefits to local economies, and greater grid security.
We do have the technology to get well on our way toward this goal; what we may not have is the political will.
I hope to learn more at the April 16 conference and will report back.
Thanks for your comment!
Rosana
On The Truth About Solar Energy
True, you can't put solar in your car. Unless you drive an electric car and power it with solar.
Storage is for sure an issue. For now, most people are using the grid for storage, and it will be a while till that becomes an issue. In the meantime, I'm reading every day about advances in storage technologies. And a recent study found that using a mixture of distributed renewables and storage, by 2030 we could power a large electric grid with renewables 99% of the time: https://joinmosaic.com/blog/renewables-100.
Solar was the subject of my post, but that doesn't mean I think we can rely on it alone. I believe we can go far, though, with a mix of disributed renewables.
On The Truth About Solar Energy
Thanks, Rick! I don't believe promotion of renewables should be a partisan issue. I like your approach to discussing this with your neighbors. People need to think about how this all affects them, what's in it for them. In California we saw George Shultz lead the campaign against Prop 23 (which would have suspended AB 32, which sets greenhouse gas emission reduction goals) -- for national security reasons. We all breathe the air and drink the water, and we should all be concerned about what's happening to our planet.
By the way, I just saw this article: http://phys.org/news/2013-03-midwesterners-farms-rural-areas.html. Although I don't think we should rule out solar in Minnesota, wind may be a better option there. Having grown up in Illinois, I know how it blows in the Midwest!
Appreciate your comment.
On The Truth About Solar Energy
The government has already intervened for many years by providing generous subsidies for fossil fuels. For the market to dictate the price and whether coal is retired, we'd have to stop all those subsidies. And I agree that biomass is one option we should use in the mix of renewables -- along with wind, solar, and others.
On The Truth About Solar Energy
Ground-mounted or otherwise, it would be an interesting comparison to make. Of course, prices and policies are changing all the time, so it would be a snapshot in time.
On The Truth About Solar Energy
That's a good idea, maybe I'll have to write something on that. Any reason you're wondering about ground-mounted panels in particular?
On Solar Energy in Germany: Where the Sun Don't Shine
Well yes, the planet is in sorry shape. Yes, the situation is bad. It's turning out to be worse than predicted. But if it's really too late, then why are we thinking about this and writing about it at all? I feel we have to try to do something about it -- and I believe we can still make a big difference.
You bring up an important point -- population. While we do have an overpopulation problem, the key, as you note, is the population's rate of resource usage. Europeans guzzle a lot less than we do in the U.S. We need to emulate them and set an example for the rest of the world.
On Solar Energy in Germany: Where the Sun Don't Shine
Thanks for all the great comments! A few things I'd like to note:
I agree that solar alone is not enough, but I also think we can get to 100% renewables -- what will get us there is political will. Look what's been done in Wildpoldsried, Germany, a town that now has an energy surplus: http://green.blorge.com/2011/08/wildpoldsried-germany-now-has-an-energy-surplus-generating-5-7-million-in-revenue/. And Gainseville, Florida, isn't doing badly either: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2012/01/gainesville-florida-becomes-a-world-leader-in-solar and http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/5856/grand-opening-held-for-100-mw-biomass-facility-in-florida
There's even evidence that we could be closer than we think to 100% renewables: http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/16/100-renewables-could-be-closer-than-we-think/ and http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378775312014759
And guess what, most Germans are not so upset about the costs of renewables -- a recent poll shows that most favor renewable energy and many even think its progress in Germany is too slow: http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/10/germany-solar-subsidies-poll/
Yes, renewable energy has been made a partisan issue in the U.S., but it shouldn't be -- if we wreck our planet, it will affect people of all parties. And renewables are proving more and more economical. I hope we can all work together to do what's best for all of us.
On Are Solar Panels Worth the Cost?
If you have enough space, you can put solar panels on another part of your property. Or if you live in a state with solar gardens laws, you can subscribe to power from panels installed elsewhere (see solargardens.org). Maybe it doesn't have to be either/or. I love solar, but I'd hate to see people cutting down trees to install it.