EV's

[WarriorFan]

Have you ever seen a coal mine?

Been in hundreds of them, all over the world.  Most reclaim as they go these days, returning the land to it's prior state or better when the mine is finished.
Also been in some bad ones, and they are a blight equal to the wind and solar farms... but much smaller.

[tower912]

Blight.   The only good thing about driving into NW Ohio is seeing windmills rising up out of the otherwise featureless farmland.
I look at a cloverleaf ramp on an interstate and wonder why they don't have solar panels in the wasteland inside the loop.  Or on the roofs covering the pumps at gas stations. Or on the roofs of those buildings at the oases on the Ohio turnpike.  Imagine powering the chargers with solar generated on site.  Otherwise unused roofs on skyscrapers.  So, one person's blight is another's opportunity.

[MU82]

Musk lays off 10% of Tesla's workforce.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/4089502-tesla-confirms-layoffs-of-more-than-10-of-its-global-workforce

But don't worry. He can always sell more TSLA to keep the lights on at the social media company he overpaid for and didn't actually want.

[rocky_warrior]

I will say, I'm shocked at the ire windmills and solar farms draw from those in the midwest.   

This happened near my childhood hometown, nobody was hurt, or even close to getting hurt, but the response was:

https://www.13abc.com/2024/01/23/all-one-energy-wind-turbines-shut-down-after-blade-falls-off-turbine-findlay/

she’s worried about her kids’ safety in the future.

“It’s a huge safety hazard, I don’t want my kids growing up around this,”

 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I get it. When you now have this instead of the previous countryside it can look "blighted."

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.8827395,-88.2624498,3a,65.5y,218.21h,83.11t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJjxbJx0kYMEKhU0tpDGZgQ!2e0!7i3328!8i1664?hl=en&entry=ttu

That being said, that doesn't mean its bad for society to "blight" certain areas for the sake of energy generation.  I would rather have that, than this:

[jesmu84]

I will say, I'm shocked at the ire windmills and solar farms draw from those in the midwest.   

This happened near my childhood hometown, nobody was hurt, or even close to getting hurt, but the response was:

https://www.13abc.com/2024/01/23/all-one-energy-wind-turbines-shut-down-after-blade-falls-off-turbine-findlay/
 

Right?

No safety hazards are all with other forms of energy generation.

[Uncle Rico]

Right?

No safety hazards are all with other forms of energy generation.

Nobody has ever been killed by coal, nor has any animal. 

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Nobody has ever been killed by coal, nor has any animal.

A lot of people are killed each year in unreported solar leaks and wind spills. They just don't want you to know about it. The real studies show this, but They have repressed them-won't let them be published. The real numbers will come out, any day now.

[WarriorFan]

Blight.   The only good thing about driving into NW Ohio is seeing windmills rising up out of the otherwise featureless farmland.
I look at a cloverleaf ramp on an interstate and wonder why they don't have solar panels in the wasteland inside the loop.  Or on the roofs covering the pumps at gas stations. Or on the roofs of those buildings at the oases on the Ohio turnpike.  Imagine powering the chargers with solar generated on site.  Otherwise unused roofs on skyscrapers.  So, one person's blight is another's opportunity.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for solar on rooftops and anywhere else that's possible.  I struggle when it's suddenly more important than farmland or open space.

[Skatastrophy]

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for solar on rooftops and anywhere else that's possible.  I struggle when it's suddenly more important than farmland or open space.

You can grow native prairie underneath solar, way better use of land than monoculture corn for federally subsidized ethanol production.

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

I will say, I'm shocked at the ire windmills and solar farms draw from those in the midwest.   

This happened near my childhood hometown, nobody was hurt, or even close to getting hurt, but the response was:

https://www.13abc.com/2024/01/23/all-one-energy-wind-turbines-shut-down-after-blade-falls-off-turbine-findlay/
 

Lots of effective propaganda. Those coal and steel jobs ain’t coming back. But windmill techs are the fastest growing job in America not requiring a 4 year degree. In predominantly rural areas.


Too woke though

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Lots of effective propaganda. Those coal and steel jobs ain’t coming back. But windmill techs are the fastest growing job in America not requiring a 4 year degree. In predominantly rural areas.


Too woke though

I don't care how much money they offered me, I would never take a job servicing one of those whale murdering machines in west Texas.

[Skatastrophy]

I don't care how much money they offered me, I would never take a job servicing one of those whale murdering machines in west Texas.

I think you misunderstood, that's not what whale hunters are doing in San Antonio.

[rocket surgeon]

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for solar on rooftops and anywhere else that's possible.  I struggle when it's suddenly more important than farmland or open space.

my home in Az came with roof top solar.  my neighbor hates when he sees the electric meter zooming backwards as he checks our place while we are gone; racking up the $$ we get back from power company.  so he's getting solar placed on his roof now and he's a life long Arizonian

[rocky_warrior]

my home in Az came with roof top solar.  my neighbor hates when he sees the electric meter zooming backwards as he checks our place while we are gone; racking up the $$ we get back from power company.  so he's getting solar placed on his roof now and he's a life long Arizonian

Does your utility actually send you money?  I got a quote for installing last year, but CO (Xcel) just credits you the kWh you produce on your bill**.  I already have a large negative balance because of a heat pump install credit, so I need to wait about another year until that gets used up.   

** There is apparently an option for cash-out at the end of every year, but it's also only the "wholesale" rate.  Plus, I have exclusively electric heat, so December pay out vs Dec solar production makes no sense in CO.

[dgies9156]

You can grow native prairie underneath solar, way better use of land than monoculture corn for federally subsidized ethanol production.

A comparatively small portion of U.S. corn becomes ethanol. Much more becomes steaks, roasts, burgers, fried chicken, sausage, hams, etc.

Where's the beef?

[rocky_warrior]

A comparatively small portion of U.S. corn becomes ethanol. Much more becomes steaks, roasts, burgers, fried chicken, sausage, hams, etc.

Where's the beef?

29.6% is small?
https://ncga.com/world-of-corn-iframe/#corn-usage-by-segment

[lawdog77]

A comparatively small portion of U.S. corn becomes ethanol. Much more becomes steaks, roasts, burgers, fried chicken, sausage, hams, etc.

Where's the beef?

This google bit says 40%
https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=105761#:~:text=Ethanol%20manufacturers%20use%20about%2040,the%20domestic%20transportation%20fuel%20market.
Ethanol manufacturers use about 40 percent of the U.S. corn crop for ethanol and related co-products, with the majority of the ethanol being consumed in the domestic transportation fuel market.

[rocky_warrior]

And to wonder why a corn farm might go solar (I don't have a good way to double check these figures):

https://smallbiztrends.com/solar-farm-income-per-acre/

On average, reports suggest that a solar farm can generate between $21,250 and $42,500 per acre annually. However, these figures can fluctuate based on the specific circumstances of each solar farm.

Vs...
https://www.farmprogress.com/commentary/crops-look-profitable-for-2023

For corn, the baseline’s 2023 yields of 181.5 bushels per acre and $5.70 average cash price received spells revenues of $1034.

Solar is much more profitable.  I think I'd put up panels too!

edit:  Yes, I know profit is not quite accurate, since I don't have those numbers.  But even household break-even on solar is 8-10 years, with a 25+ year expected panel life.   I'd expect break-even on a  large installation to be even less.

[JWags85]

I think you misunderstood, that's not what whale hunters are doing in San Antonio.

Shout out Charles Barkley

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Shout out Charles Barkley

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

You can grow corn under wind turbines and get annuity payments for the land usage too.

[rocket surgeon]

Does your utility actually send you money?  I got a quote for installing last year, but CO (Xcel) just credits you the kWh you produce on your bill**.  I already have a large negative balance because of a heat pump install credit, so I need to wait about another year until that gets used up.   

** There is apparently an option for cash-out at the end of every year, but it's also only the "wholesale" rate.  Plus, I have exclusively electric heat, so December pay out vs Dec solar production makes no sense in CO.

  no cash back, but credit off our bills moving forward.  so some months our bill is like $3.00 or something.  this essentially pays for us to heat pool and for free as the heater runs off of electric and not directly from the roof as some seem to think.

   heat the pool you may think?  we are down there a lot from November thru February.  as some of the night time temps can get to freezing or below, then 80-85-90 during the day, we want to use the pool and hot tub.  we haven't been down there much if at all june-august, but i've heard people will actually put ice blocks into their pools in order to cool them down enough to make them refreshing.  our pool heater will actually reverse heat and cool the pool down if needed. 

the house came with a leased system when we bought 6 years ago.  it was owned by Tesla.  not sure if any relationship with car company.  our lease payment is like $40/month, but last year they came by and replaced all the panels with more energy efficient ones=win/win for "free" 

[rocky_warrior]

  no cash back, but credit off our bills moving forward.  so some months our bill is like $3.00 or something.  this essentially pays for us to heat pool and for free as the heater runs off of electric and not directly from the roof as some seem to think.

   heat the pool you may think? 

Hah, I get it.  I've been to the desert in winter, nights get chilly!

Sounds like the system works like here.  In CO, I'd generate a lot of extra kWh "credits" during the summer, and use most of them for heating in the winter.   The way they were going to size the system, I'd likely never have to pay for electric again (120% of my previous years usage).

Upfront cost is a bit high, but value of the house increases almost the same amount, and as I mentioned, will pay for itself (literally) in 8-10 years.  Haven't looked at leasing, though I suppose I should. 

[MU82]

From Seeking Alpha:

There are anecdotal reports that Tesla has delayed some Cybertruck deliveries. There are also videos being circulated on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum about certain issues with the accelerator pedal.