The Electrically Na?ve in the solar world.
Benjamin Greig, ChPP-CPPD CEngT, Chartered PM and Const MGR
Multi-faceted Senior Manager. Currently National Program Director, Major Projects, heavily involved in concepts, bids, all facets of designs, budgeting and resourcing on major national projects.
It's getting bad when you see the solar supporters and the government asking for bulk storage sites to be implemented to feed the grid. Why not build another big power station? Well a large solar plant is a power station with or without Storage!
- You don't own it so you still need to pay for the construction and the government would /may be needed generally to back these. Your cost again in taxes.
- You pay for the privilage of using the power via the transmission lines and the retails who sell it to you. Your cost again and it keeps going up not down.
- It will need expanding as the demand grows. so lets build more big power stations?
SO what do we do.
We go to smaller localized solar, wind or combinations of all types of renewables and have it's storage locally. If you have it on your roof or back yard you get the gains and limiting the pains. Even if it is only slowly?
But what abou the cost? Two things here - people have been paying for this stuff for 20 plus years already so there are deals out there and you get cheaper power.
The other is, wait until its "free" then go with it? It is getting closer than you think to being a reality.
Cheers
Ben