What Would It Take To Go 100% Solar?

[Quixote1818]

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Okay, I don't have the patience to listen to 13 minutes of someone rambling.

I got perhaps 90 seconds in and couldn't see when it would get to the point.

But I do have to question, why 100% Solar? Why not 100% Renewable? I understand that solar panels can recharge when it's overcast, but I'm pretty sure they can't recharge when it's completely dark. So let's add in wind and geothermal and maybe hydro-electric. Not just solar.

[Quixote1818]

7. The video does suggesting utilizing the other renewables.

It just does a breakdown of the "what if" for everything being solar and what would it take. Just solar would be extremely difficult for quite some time.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. Oh, good. Glad to know that.

It's just that the title is misleading.

I understand that solar, even in cloudy places, can still be incredibly effective.

And yes, energy storage is the next step.

[Rural_Progressive]

2. Easy answer to that question, three words!!

IMPROVED ENERGY STORAGE

We have lived and run a farm off grid for 20 years. When we started, it was a real challenge. Equipment was expensive, all we had to store power in were flooded lead acid deep cycle batteries, and lighting took a lot of power.

We are putting in our final (and really big) system this year. Equipment is much less expensive for what you get and much easier to connect and monitor. We are using repurposed Nissan Leaf battery modules for storage, much easier to keep charged, no maintenance, incredibly efficient. Lighting, 20 years ago we had nothing but incandescent bulbs. To get 60 watts of lighting took 60 watts of power. Today we can get the equivalent of 300 watts of light for 60 watts of power.

Actually the only thing preventing us from going 100% renewable is a lack of the will of the people. Until that problem is overcome all of the technology and energy storage won't matter.

[Gore1FL]

5. That's the name of the game.

Hydrocarbons have been a cheap and easy "battery" for us as a civilization. It's ultimately all about storage.

[customerserviceguy]

3. When solar is the cheapest alternative

Yes, you can game the system with tax breaks, etc., but ultimately, a technology has to be able to stand on it's own, economically.

And some serious breakthroughs would have to be made to allow enough energy to be stored to power aircraft for more than a couple of hours. Those aircraft would also be much slower than today's jet fuel engines.

[MyOwnPeace]

4. IQ45's response:

"When the sun goes down, POOF! - there goes your lights!"

"COAL - who wants to live longer anyhow?"

[usaf-vet]

6. It would take the current "energy suppliers" getting COMPLETE control of the solar energy companies.

If that were to happen and they (oil, coal, gas companies) managed to acquire complete dominance over the solar industry.

THEN we could become 100% solar.

But as long as there is one nickel to still be wrung out of selling non-renewables they (oil, coal, gas companies) will fight against solar, wind, wave, geothermal source.

IF THEY (oil, coal, gas companies) are not making billions nobody is going to get affordable renewable energy options. PERIOD!!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. I live in a part of the country where mineral rights are an issue.

You might own land, but not own any of the mineral rights beneath the top.

I'm honestly surprised that there hasn't been legislation saying none of us own the solar rights on top of our homes or property, that it all belongs to some energy company who can come and install solar panels as they wish.

[Hulk]

10. Drive thru Germany sometime....

I was amazed. I know they have a big motivator, since they don't pump the fossil fuels out of their earth like we do, and unfortunately, they are dependent on Russian natural gas to supply their energy needs; BUT, they have miles of solar fields and panels on many buildings for conversion to electric energy, not to mention solar hot water.

Germany is similar to the Pacific Northwest with their sun for conversion, so imagine what we could do with the Southwest and their abundance of sun almost year around.

We suck, but only because the fossil fuel industry controls our government decisions.

100% may sound out of reach, and it probably is. What about 10%?...or 50% over the next 5 years? These things are obtainable. As the price goes lower, the potential is greater.