{"id":307,"date":"2022-01-05T23:46:34","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T23:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/?p=307"},"modified":"2022-01-05T23:46:43","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T23:46:43","slug":"australias-giant-green-gamble-on-solar-energy-toys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/?p=307","title":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s Giant Green Gamble on Solar Energy Toys"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Opinion Piece by Saltbush Club’s Viv Forbes<\/strong>
Australian Climate Sceptics\u00a0Blog<\/em>

Please\u00a0feel free to Post and Circulate<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/em>6 January 2022<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Australia\u2019s Giant Green Gamble on Solar Energy Toys<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n


<\/em><\/strong>By the time solar energy reaches Earth\u2019s surface, it is spread very thin \u2013 even midday sunshine will not boil the billy or make toast. And solar collectors will only convert about 20% of that weak energy into electricity. Thus thousands of solar panels are needed to collect significant energy, and lots more to charge the expensive batteries needed to maintain electricity supply overnight and during cloudy weather. Despite these disadvantages, force-feeding of \u201cgreen\u201d energy by all levels of government has given Australia nearly three million solar collectors (mainly imported from China).<\/p>\n\n\n\n


It requires scads of land to generate significant electricity from the sun\u2019s weak rays. But even in sunny weather, they produce nothing for 16 hours every day. And a sprinkling of dust, pollen, ash or salt, or a few splatters of poop from birds or flying foxes can reduce output by 50%, while night, snow or heavy cloud cover snuffs them out completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Solar energy collection is maximised if the panels face the sun exactly and follow the daily and seasonal movements of the sun across the sky. No rooftop collectors and only 40% of ground facilities can do this. Thus to produce the planned energy requires an even bigger area of collector panels, covering even more land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


More interested in propaganda than science, greens call land-based arrays \u201csolar farms\u201d suggesting they are plant-friendly places. However solar panels steal sunlight, leaving real plants beneath them to die. Solar \u201cfarms\u201d have nothing in common with real farms except the need for large areas of open countryside \u2013 usually consuming valuable flattish cleared farmland or open grassland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


In fact, growing plants are a liability to solar \u201cfarms\u201d because they can block solar energy, so the operators must prevent grass, weeds and bushes from shadowing the panels and stealing their sunshine. Thus most plant life in solar \u201cfarms\u201d is killed \u2013 either by the blocking of the sun, or by regular applications of herbicide, or by roadways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


A big solar \u201cfarm\u201d in Australia could contain one million solar panels and smother 2,000 acres of land. Each operation also needs miles of cleared access roads and transmission lines to maintain the facility, collect the electricity and transmit it to urban demand centres. Most of the time these transmission lines are operating well below capacity, creating an expensive web of inefficient maintenance liabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Australia is also a world leader in installing subsidised rooftop solar. But a quick drive around the suburbs will show that few panels have the size, the ideal orientation or the cleanliness to be efficient collectors of solar energy \u2013 they are green status symbols designed to collect subsidies. Many will fail to recover the real cost of manufacture, transport, installation and restoration. They destabilise the electricity network and elevate average electricity prices for industry and for those who cannot afford a house, let alone one with its own solar panels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


All for ZERO climate benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The picture below illustrates what is wrong with rooftop solar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
https:\/\/saltbushclub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/rooftop-solar.jpg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/saltbushclub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/rooftop-solar.jpg\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


Random Panel Orientation, plus a Cloudy Sky = Negligible Solar Electricity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picture credit: <\/em>www.powerhomesolar.com<\/em><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Intermittent \u201cgreen\u201d energy forces coal and gas plants to operate at full capacity to cover peak demands around sunrise and sunset, but to wind back or shut down when solar energy pours into the system around midday. Recently in just one week in South Australia (Australia\u2019s green energy guinea pig), electricity generation went from \u201cover 130% renewables to less than 4%, renewables with everything in between\u201d. Despite South Australia being home to \u201cthe biggest battery in the world\u201d, the energy regulator has been forced to lease diesel back-up generators and to order gas-fired plants to stand by in case the wind suddenly drops \u2013 this encourages mechanical and financial breakdowns, and high electricity costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Europe has also gone out onto the green energy limb, but this is no comfort for Australians who cannot import nuclear power from France, gas from Russia or hydro-power from Scandinavia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Every solar installation consumes energy to mine metals, manufacture, transport and erect panels and to build access roads and transmission lines over long distances. Careful analysis will show an energy deficit over their short lifetimes. And when an earthquake, hailstorm, cyclone or hurricane smashes these exposed rows of solar panels, rubbish dumps of mangled trash will be left. Most of this debris cannot be recycled and tonnes of metals, glass and plastic are destined to end their life as toxic, non-degradable land fill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Bureaucrats will try to force solar operators to clean up, but smart operators will have bankruptcy petitions prepared for such emergencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/em>Here\u2019s a solar \u201cfarm\u201d after a cyclone or typhoon:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/saltbushclub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/after-the-hurricane.jpg<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n



<\/em>
Storm Destroys Solar \u201cFarm\u201d in Puerto Rico (producing lots of landfill).
Picture <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/jo.nova\/photo\/man-made\/renewables\/solar\/solar-panels-puerto-rico-damaged.jpg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


Proven and reliable electricity generators, driven by coal, gas, hydro or nuclear, with a small land footprint and housed in storm-proof structures, are far less damaging to the green environment than these landscapes of inefficient, intermittent, expensive plant-killing \u201cfarms\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Where are the Green objectors now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n



Viv Forbes
5th<\/sup> January 2022
forbes@saltbushclub.com<\/a>

Washpool Queensland 4306    Australia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To download the full article with all pictures click below:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/saltbushclub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/giant-green-gamble.pdf\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/saltbushclub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/giant-green-gamble.pdf\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


More Food for Thought: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solar Energy in Australia:<\/em><\/strong>
<\/u><\/em>https:\/\/list.solar\/plants\/largest-plants\/australia\/<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.csiro.au\/en\/news\/News-releases\/2021\/Australia-installs-record-breaking-number-of-rooftop-solar-panels\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Effects of Dust on Solar Panels:
<\/em><\/strong>http:\/\/www.alionenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Effects-of-Dust-on-the-Performance-of-PV-Panels.pdf<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Growing Solar Panel Waste Problem:
<\/em><\/strong>https:\/\/www.instituteforenergyresearch.org\/renewable\/solar\/the-mounting-solar-panel-waste-problem\/<\/em><\/a>

<\/u><\/em>https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/michaelshellenberger\/2018\/05\/23\/if-solar-panels-are-so-clean-why-do-they-produce-so-much-toxic-waste\/<\/em><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paving Virginia with solar slabs is bad law:<\/em> 
<\/strong>by David Wojick<\/em>
https:\/\/www.cfact.org\/2021\/12\/27\/paving-virginia-with-solar-slabs-is-a-bad-law\/<\/em><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Australia\u2019s looming energy security disaster:<\/em><\/strong>
<\/strong>https:\/\/quadrant.org.au\/magazine\/2017\/06\/looming-disaster-energy-security\/<\/em><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.theaustralian.com.au\/business\/mining-energy\/australian-energy-council-warns-on-electricity-market-intervention\/news-story\/af00cdd9300e6a2df7621782b7e9bdd0\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Concentrated Solar Power \u2013 another Solar Scam:<\/em><\/strong>
<\/u><\/em>Arial<\/em>https:\/\/www.americanthinker.com\/articles\/2022\/01\/yet_another_solar_scam.html<\/em><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

World\u2019s Biggest Battery becomes World\u2019s biggest Joke:<\/em><\/strong>
https:\/\/iowaclimate.org\/2021\/09\/26\/worlds-biggest-renewable-energy-battery-becomes-worlds-biggest-joke\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Opinion Piece by Saltbush Club’s Viv ForbesAustralian Climate Sceptics\u00a0Blog Please\u00a0feel free to Post and Circulate 6 January 2022 Australia\u2019s Giant Green Gamble on Solar Energy Toys By the time solar energy reaches Earth\u2019s surface, it is spread very thin \u2013 even midday sunshine will not boil the billy or make toast. And solar collectors will… Continue reading Australia\u2019s Giant Green Gamble on Solar Energy Toys<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[172,279,171],"class_list":["post-307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-saltbush-club","tag-solar-energy","tag-viv-forbes","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=307"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":312,"href":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307\/revisions\/312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/australianclimatesceptics.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}