Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

General Discussion

True Blue Door

(2,969 posts)

12. There is no low price oil can possibly reach that will stop the Solarpocalypse.

Reply to ellenrr (Original post)

Sat Dec 20, 2014, 12:02 PM

Dec 2014

[img][/img]

Since solar is a technology rather than a fuel, it begins to approach Moore's Law - so that near-vertical downward line will not smooth out much in coming years. It'll be a long time before it starts behaving asymptotically. There is no economically meaningful, inherent limit to the efficiency with which a photon can be harvested to generate an electron. And where the power goes, the storage and transportation technology follow.

OPEC can open its spigots as wide as they please, and all it will do is mean they hit the ground at Mach 5 rather than Mach 20. Oil rigs will be a form of archaeological ruin before the last WW2 veteran is dead.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

21 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Are low prices a crude awakening for climate activists? [View all] ellenrr Dec 2014 OP

Of course. truebluegreen Dec 2014 #1

speaking of seen to be changing: ellenrr Dec 2014 #2

Yes, I saw that. truebluegreen Dec 2014 #4

Depends on how long the lower prices hold probably BootinUp Dec 2014 #3

Kuwait says prices should recover somewhat in 2nd half of 2015 davidn3600 Dec 2014 #5

This is exactly why we need carbon taxes and severe tariffs against polluting countries on point Dec 2014 #6

well, I beieve it is somewhat a moot point, ellenrr Dec 2014 #7

Climate change is now built into the system, but climate catastrophe, that can be prevented. Fred Sanders Dec 2014 #8

I'm not being a pessimist, I'm listening to scientists... ellenrr Dec 2014 #9

OK, we are listening to different scientists, that is fine. Fred Sanders Dec 2014 #10

Are you saying scientists can disagree? dumbcat Dec 2014 #13

gosh - a reasonable person! :) ellenrr Dec 2014 #15

I'd say he's not being pessimistic at all NickB79 Dec 2014 #14

"Current carbon trends". Change the trends, maybe? Fred Sanders Dec 2014 #17

Peak oil and CO2 Jesus Malverde Dec 2014 #11

There is no low price oil can possibly reach that will stop the Solarpocalypse. True Blue Door Dec 2014 #12

Oil and solar compete for entirely different niches and uses NickB79 Dec 2014 #16

Solar, storage, and EVs are mutually-reinforcing sectors. True Blue Door Dec 2014 #20

Improve the battery, improve the solar cell - viola. Who needs oil? Fred Sanders Dec 2014 #18

Yup. Or coal, or gas. True Blue Door Dec 2014 #21

Personally... 99Forever Dec 2014 #19