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California is now a huge energy importer. Their energy production from all sources is way down. They can't make it up on alternative energy sources. There is a limit on how much land you can devote to solar, wind, biofuel, nuclear, etc.
California can go to full Solar PV with ZERO additional land use.
In the US, and California in particular, there is so much existing Manmade Impervious Surface (MMIS -- that is a fancy name for Roofs, Parking Lots, etc.) that by placing Solar above these areas, California can largely feed itself, locally. MMIS is generally also at-or-near Grid Tie points. So there are existing local connections to the grid, and local loads that can be offset and removed from the Grid.
Amazing to me how many folks look so hard to try to find a Cloud in a Silver Lining. Such is the Doomer mindset.
Here is a backgrounder on Manmade Impervious Surface, if these are new concepts >>>
California can go to full Solar PV with ZERO additional land use.
In the US, and California in particular, there is so much existing Manmade Impervious Surface (MMIS -- that is a fancy name for Roofs, Parking Lots, etc.) that by placing Solar above these areas, California can largely feed itself, locally. MMIS is generally also at-or-near Grid Tie points. So there are existing local connections to the grid, and local loads that can be offset and removed from the Grid.
Amazing to me how many folks look so hard to try to find a Cloud in a Silver Lining. Such is the Doomer mindset.
Here is a backgrounder on Manmade Impervious Surface, if these are new concepts >>>
I don’t know much/anything about power, but in my state, there are thousands and thousands of giant wind turbines. You look out at the night sky out in the farm country and it’s nothing but blinking red lights. When I was a kid, none of this existed.
Something tells me mankind will adapt when it needs to.
The doomers will probably just say the Great Lakes will be a desert but hey maybe the wind will keep ripping across the baron sands once it becomes like madmax~
Last edited by Thatsright19; 06-14-2021 at 10:39 AM..
I don’t know much/anything about power, but in my state, there are thousands and thousands of giant wind turbines. You look out at the night sky out in the farm country and it’s nothing but blinking red lights. When I was a kid, none of this existed.
Something tells me mankind will adapt when it needs to.
The doomers will probably just say the Great Lakes will be a desert but hey maybe the wind will keep ripping across the baron sands once it becomes like madmax~
Yep. Check out the Michigan "off-shore" Wind Maps >>>
I don’t know much/anything about power, but in my state, there are thousands and thousands of giant wind turbines. You look out at the night sky out in the farm country and it’s nothing but blinking red lights. When I was a kid, none of this existed.
Something tells me mankind will adapt when it needs to.
The doomers will probably just say the Great Lakes will be a desert but hey maybe the wind will keep ripping across the baron sands once it becomes like madmax~
Wind farms are all over California. They've been around for over 30 years. Take a trip on rte 5 through the central valley to see them from the highway. They only supply 7 percent of the electricity, and the state is still a net importer. The other renewables supply another 9 percent.
Building codes are changing to allow or mandate roofs have solar panels. The contribution of renewables will continue to creep up.
Wind farms are all over California. They've been around for over 30 years. Take a trip on rte 5 through the central valley to see them from the highway. They only supply 7 percent of the electricity, and the state is still a net importer. The other renewables supply another 9 percent.
Building codes are changing to allow or mandate roofs have solar panels. The contribution of renewables will continue to creep up.
I wish I could for research purposes of course.
I think California is also a special case as well since it’s basically a powerhouse global economic player as a single state. I couldn’t see any reason (in my non engineer mind) why my states renewable resources, if properly harnessed, couldn’t eventually be covered mostly and export to others even. The 500 foot sand dunes are a testament to the thousands of years of relentless wind.
Last edited by Thatsright19; 06-14-2021 at 02:04 PM..
As I've said before, there is no substitute at all for oil, no other energy source is so dense, transportable, versatile, and convenient. Oil represents, literally billions of years worth of condensed solar energy. Current solar energy is simply no match for that.
Really? You don't even need to transport if energy is at the use site - such as solar on a home or business. I am pretty sure that electricity is much more dense than oils that has about 20% efficiency and can be transported much quicker and at much lower cost than oil.
That video is old and as utterly wrong now as it was when issued. I'll meet you and Taggerung out in The Midland Basin sometime for a little show and tell.
Indeed. And the dinosaur hypothesis is just a hypothesis. Another concept is that mother earth creates her own oil, constantly.
California is now a huge energy importer. Their energy production from all sources is way down. They can't make it up on alternative energy sources. There is a limit on how much land you can devote to solar, wind, biofuel, nuclear, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philip T
California can go to full Solar PV with ZERO additional land use.
Not quit true - If covered most suitable roofs in CA for solar - you would get to about 75% of CA current usage (UNLV Study), definitely would more than cover the shortfall. But CA has large open desert space that could be used for solar and wind - according to one study, if cover 4% of all deserts in the world with solar, would supply all the electricity used in the world each year. If used just part of the Mojave desert, you could supply all US energy use using current technology. The Mojave desert is fairly large and has the best conditions for solar in the country.
CA has made a mess of their electricity production but they could get out of it using alternative sources if the environmental wackos didn't try to block every proposal. They can't seem to get it in their heads that no source of electricity production is not without some environmental impacts - they are just less with most alternative fuels. They are the ones that are essentially causing power generation and environmental impacts to be exported to other states to provide CA power.
FYI - The majority of CA imported electricity is hydro so "alternative fuel" generation normally used. But like all means, even dams have environmental impacts.
Last edited by ddeemo; 06-14-2021 at 04:41 PM..
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for research purposes of course. 
