Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Well, if the process is to have your electrical generation have zero carbon emissions during generation, then doesn't that mean your options are essentially to build new electrical generation sources? I think some sources that do so are solar power, hydroelectricity, and wind turbines. To do that you'd probably need to manufacture some things. The two current and projected fastest growing occupations for the US are both renewable energy jobs: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/fastest-growing.htm
Part of this is because the cost per kilowatt of both panels and turbines have gone down so much that they are competitive with or cheaper than other electrical generation sources, so this is more of jumping on the bandwagon kind of moment. The median pay for the two aforementioned jobs are $42,680 per year and $54,370 per year which aren't princely sums, but can support a pretty decent life in some parts of the state.
I, for one, don't buy it. The cost is still too high, can't be done without subsidies, and manufacturing techniques are more toxic than the claimed savings. The amount of money spent, comparable to results should be criminal. The number of good, efficient power plants destroyed, to be replaced by something newly manufactured is just a joke. I have been a proponent of solar since the 70's. I have passive solar in my home and it works great. But on a massive, nationwide scale, we're not ready. Maybe in 10-20 more years of R&D. Then I would be all for it.
I, for one, don't buy it. The cost is still too high, can't be done without subsidies, and manufacturing techniques are more toxic than the claimed savings. The amount of money spent, comparable to results should be criminal. The number of good, efficient power plants destroyed, to be replaced by something newly manufactured is just a joke. I have been a proponent of solar since the 70's. I have passive solar in my home and it works great. But on a massive, nationwide scale, we're not ready. Maybe in 10-20 more years of R&D. Then I would be all for it.
Well, it certainly doesn't reverse pollution, but it's better than the existing alternatives for the most part. A lot of talk about how toxic solar panels are end up equating a lot of mining of raw materials, manufacturing waste, shipping / distribution, and then end life waste. The weird thing is that the comparisons seldom do such a comprehensive farm to table accounting for the alternatives.
2019 solar panels are generally really efficient and cheap (or cheap for the rated efficiency) compared to those of a few years ago and are competitive with more conventional energy production now. The price drops have been precipitous and some of that was due to the fanfare over them about a decade ago, which while premature in terms of pricing then, lead to the scaling that did end up bringing the costs of solar way down. NOTE: The y-axis below is on a logarithmic scale.
Most of the cost savings in the 21st century were essentially from economies of scale and learning through trial and error and real world tests/feedback in the production cycle and deployment rather than massive singular breakthroughs in technology. New York state certainly didn't create that, but if it's switching over to renewable energy, then the roads been pretty decently paved by others. Alaska certainly isn't great for solar with current costs and modules, but the other states are generally fine and dandy.
One big question is longevity. They are black to attract the sun, and get extremely hot. I don't hear a lot about this topic, but it's very important. If you have to replace solar, just when you're hoping to get your ROI, it will cost a fortune all over again.
One big question is longevity. They are black to attract the sun, and get extremely hot. I don't hear a lot about this topic, but it's very important. If you have to replace solar, just when you're hoping to get your ROI, it will cost a fortune all over again.
They certainly won't last forever without maintenance or replacement, but no power plant does that and a lot of power plants, such as coal or natural gas plants, also require fuel to constantly be brought in. Most commercial solar panels have minimum 20 year warranties, but they are likely to last much longer than that. So far, panels made past the year 2000 (for which the earliest would now be close to the 20 year warranty mark) have thus far degraded at less than 0.4% per year which isn't too bad.
They certainly won't last forever without maintenance or replacement, but no power plant does that and a lot of power plants, such as coal or natural gas plants, also require fuel to constantly be brought in. Most commercial solar panels have minimum 20 year warranties, but they are likely to last much longer than that. So far, panels made past the year 2000 (for which the earliest would now be close to the 20 year warranty mark) have thus far degraded at less than 0.4% per year which isn't too bad.
You seem to have a lot of information. Can you share some links? So after 20 years, they are now 92% efficient? I'd imagine the rate of loss increases by age.
There's been heavy student housing development in Binghamton over the past decade (the main campus is in Vestal, not Binghamton), and few of those students change their actual residency to Binghamton.
I am skeptical there's been a significant population decline if you include the students that have moved in (and in some cases, displaced residents).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13457759/kavlak_solar_pv_cost.png)
