How much land will PV need to supply our electricity?

[blackpowder]

#justnothungryenough

[WiltonRanch]

I have a 30 joule fencer powered with 4 deep cycle batteries and a large pv cell. Not a cheap panel by any means. The fencer is set at 5 joules output unless something contacts then it spikes. Anyway, when there is sun and no ice it's marvellous but November that pv ices up or there's not enough solar radiation pushing through the clouds. The notion of green power is elegant but at this time the efficiency of such tech has a long way to go. I think mandating a phase out of coal by 2030 is too soon. Honestly I think Saskatchewan's plan for 50% renewables by 2030 is more realistic though still pie in the sky. Ultimately more dams should be built or nuclear reactors. But if our economy is run into the ground power demand will be such that no more excess is needed.

[oneoff]

You get same arguments against nuclear and dams and pipelines and development of all sorts. Their problems are ignored and simultaneously conventional is run into the ground by people who no longer could survive on their own.

Depending on subsidies and transferring wealth from that which has sustained our standard of living (before it is anywhere ready to replace the old)....is foolhardy and dangerous.

Trump will factor in this evolving Canadian story.

[may-be]

You get same arguments against nuclear and dams and pipelines and development of all sorts. Their problems are ignored and simultaneously conventional is run into the ground by people who no longer could survive on their own.

Depending on subsidies and transferring wealth from that which has sustained our standard of living (before it is anywhere ready to replace the old)....is foolhardy and dangerous.

Trump will factor in this evolving Canadian story.

I could not agree more... It's like some people are wearing blinders.

[chuckChuck]

Many Canadian industries get tax breaks, grants and subsidies including agriculture. Some industries would not be here or would be much smaller without government support and policies designed to support them. So when you talk about transfer of wealth from tax payers, include yourself in the list of recipients.

[ColevilleH2S]

Solar is awesome where peak loads coincide with peak sun. But in Canada peak loads happen in the dead of winter. In my neck of the woods, usable solar in December is 1/9th what it is in July. Just 11%. Does this make for a stable grid?

[may-be]

Many Canadian industries get tax breaks, grants and subsidies including agriculture. Some industries would not be here or would be much smaller without government support and policies designed to support them. So when you talk about transfer of wealth from tax payers, include yourself in the list of recipients.

I see my self as transferring wealth to the economy through indirect taxes already.

I thought about what I could do to do my part to help save the planet. Live like a hermit is the only thing I can think of at this time.

[Hamloc]

I looked on Boyd Solar's website to get some info(best site I have found so far). For an off grid system you size your solar array for have of your daily usage in the winter. I looked and some months in the winter I am over 40kwh per day. So I require a minimum 20 kwh solar array. Batteries should be 7 times usage or 280 kwh. The biggest package on the site is the boomer with a 12.48 kwh solar array and 156.3 kwh battery bank. Obviously not big enough but has a price of 97500 dollars. I would require 1.6 times that or possibly a 156000 dollar investment. This does not include installation. My yearly cost for electricity is just under 4000 dollars including GST. Does it look like it would pay? Also interesting to note less than 40% of that is electricity charges. The majority is transmission and administration. On the Boyd Solar sight they also discuss grid tied in systems. They state for that you would require 8.5 cents a kilowatt for 30 years to pay for a grid tied in system. At present power is lower than that in Alberta and Premier Notley has promised a price ceiling of 6.8 cents a kilowatt to begin in June. Can you say subsidies required! Sorry Chuck2 real numbers don't work argue all you want!

[chuckChuck]

Hamloc. I live in Saskatchewan. Here is what Sask Power does:

"Credits and Rates

We credit your excess power at the same rate that you purchase power. Power billing is based on kilowatt-hours (kWh). As an example, if you are purchasing power at $0.1123/kWh, then your excess power will be credited at that amount."

Sask Power uses a 2 way meter. So any electricity I produce is worth the same price I pay $0.1123/kWh (11.2 cents per kwh)

Boyd Solar which you quoted, shows the cost of electricity from Solar PV systems in the 10 cents per kwh for 25 years or 8.5 cents per kwh for 30 years.

So based on professionally installed grid tied systems solar pv systems, according to Boyd, are currently cheaper than Sask Power rates when looking at 25 or 30 year life spans.

You can buy a kit and cut the costs further by installing the ground mount or roof system your self and hiring a local electrician to do the hook up. Most farmers will have the necessary skill and equipment.

So it looks like a big investment, but if you consider that rates in Saskatchewan and Alberta are going to rise, then solar pv grid tied systems are an option to keep electricity costs down in the long run.

Each province has a different system for grid tie so a lot depends on which province you are in.

I don't think a battery system makes sense for any larger farm loads at this time. If it is just an off grid residential load and you have gas for cooking, heating, and drying clothes then a battery backup system would be more feasible.

I am more interested in a grid tied ground mount solar pv system. My farm neighbor just put in a roof top system and I am following his experience and results.

As I have said all along we can't replace fossil fuels in the foreseeable future. But we can sure start to use solar PV, wind and energy efficiency gains to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.

That is why Saskpower and Brad Wall have been saying 50% renewables by 2030 which will include wind, solar and hydro.

[blackpowder]

Electricity is currently the cheapest work money can buy. I do not have throw away money to spend on reinventing an extremely expensive wheel just to prove I can.
Buying any solar energy equipment for general home or farm use here merely suggests you have extra money to throw on a principle.