Quote:
Originally Posted by Changing City
The whole EROI thing is a bit of a red herring, and I wish I hadn't stirred fredino into one of their 'world's longest post' responses. To reiterate my point, and withdraw after having made it, BC Hydro note that solar may be a useful addition to the relatively modest amount of additional power generation they calculate we'll need to 2041. That probably won't be huge commercial solar farms (as there are in Alberta and in the US) but mostly more modest facilities owned by building owners to reduce their private, individual electricity requirements. It's a useful replacement in places currently using generators, and technology (for panels and batteries) is getting more efficient and cheaper over time.
|
Well, TBF, the study you linked has mono-Si at a similar EOREI to other studies. Note that mono-Si is the industry standard (others are too expensive), so that answers the inconsistency.
Yeah, but that raises the question as to why you'd even bother encouraging it. No one is going to stop people from putting solar panels on their roofs, but BC Hydro shouldn't be using its resources to push it. There's no lack of other energy resources in BC.
There are a lot of other ways to ensure large buildings are cool during heat waves - like white/light-reflecting paints and heat pumps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by roger1818
The "energy that goes into building it" is only one factor. You also have the carbon footprint of its construction. Hydro electric dams use a lot of concrete, and the chemical reaction that occurs during the manufacturing of cement (a key ingredient in concrete) produces a lot of CO2.
The other issue people often overlook is methane production (a potent, though short lived greenhouse gas). The resevours that are created for hydro electric dams release a lot of methane as the organic material slowly decomposes. The CO2e produced is still small compared to coal or natural gas generation, but it can't be ignored either. ( http://www.energybc.ca/largehydro.ht...e%20mitigated.)
I am not trying to say that hydro power is bad, and shouldn't be built, but we need to consider all of the factors when making a comparison of other electrical generation technologies.
|
Which is why they razed everything in Site C's way when building the dam.
Solar also produces a ton of GHGs when being produced, and toxic waste when disposed.
Wind uses aluminum and concrete, both very GHG/energy intensive.
No renewable energy source is free of issues.