Quote:
Originally Posted by xelasnave
... have expressed an opinion that solar power can’t do the trick whereas of course it can... I find it extraordinary the lame reasons why solar could not be made viable. The prospect of Solar power has been has been marginalized. The energy the Sun delivers to this planet far exceeds the consumption per metre humans use.
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Oh no, I just can't help myself, was going to sign off here!
Alex, solar irradiation on the Earth's surface does not exceed about 850W per square metre.
When you add it all up, it looks like unlimited power. The trouble with solar is its very DILUTE power - what we need is concentrated stuff.
As you are no doubt aware, the 850W is greatly reduced by geographical location and climate, sun angle, nightime (100% reduction!) and losses in conversion and storage. Every time energy is converted into another form, efficiency is reduced, so electrical storage makes the whole idea even less viable.
Transport and transmission losses are a big factor - there's a reason coal-fired power stations are right next to the mines (e.g. in the Hunter) and to the cities. The 'Nullarbor option' as mentioned by another contributor is just not on.
There's nothing wrong with solar in the right application. it's great for the ISS and outback phone boxes, and I'll soon be relying on it when I'm a grey nomad, but it's piddle power when it comes to base-load supply and industrial production.
There are no lame reasons, only well-understood physical ones. You won't come across any working electrical/power engineers who believe solar can do the job. (Challenge!?!)