Estevan considered for solar power

[oneoff]

That would be an estimate. 10 mw (10,000 watts) is the maximum capacity of the panels when they are new and are pointing directly at the sun.

This is a simple calculator and will be an estimate. But this estimate is based on the solar resource at estevan.

Just one little point of correction. 10Mw (10,000 watts) in your post is only off by a factor of a thousand
10 Megawatts converts to 10,000 kilo watts and also is the same as 10,000,000 watts

[oneoff]

Question of who willl end up building 10MW solar site. Not of interest to anyone

[oneoff]

Need to think that one out

[chuckChuck]

Sorry I forgot the kw it is 10,000 kw.

[sumdumguy]

Just read in Leader Post nearly 1800 of the 3800 employees at Sask Power earn over $100,000 a year. Now you wonder why our rural power rates have sky-rocketted in last 30 years. Wonder how many top brass have been added and paid exhorbitant salaries, lets bring in a few solar experts too.

[oneoff]

VERY KEY INFORMATION THAT ANYONE AN EVERYONE (in Sassk)SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING THE ANSWERS TO


Here's the Sask Power reply

I received your questions about the solar project. I will do my best to address them. If you have any further questions please let me know.


The solar panels will be fixed with no tracking ability. We estimate the 10MW solar facility will be approximately 80 acres. For production we have estimated about 1400MWh per year.

[chuckChuck]

Neither of us can produce a business case for or against on a single utility scale project without the numbers from SaskPower or the expertise to do so. Let us agree on that! Unless you think you know Saskpower's business better than they do?

Boyd Solar who hamloc says has the best site information on the internet said grid tie solar systems for residences cost about 10 cents a kwh averaged over 25 years I believe. Sask Power charges 11.8 cents for farm use right now.

So lets say it is possible to lock in electricity prices at 10 cents per kwh over 25 years. Sask Power increases have been around 3-4 % per year over the last 10 years. And likely to increase. So based on Boyd Solar's estimate solar pv will get cheaper and cheaper and will save you money in the long term.

You will still need to be tied to the grid for the heavy farm loads but is possible to produce a lot of your own electricity. This makes solar pv attractive in SK but not Manitoba or Alberta.

[chuckChuck]

Sumdum. So how does that compare to oil industry wages? What percentage earn over 100k per year?

[oneoff]

Tweety says
"Are we running out of land in Estevan fricking sk oneoff? Is it overcrowded? Is it canada's hong kong?
I used 20 to make sure enough space is reserved for the angle "

Chuck just said
"10 mw system with 1 axis tilt set at 45 degrees year round. It said output is 18,730,101 kwh per year."

Sask Power just said

"The solar panels will be fixed with no tracking ability. We estimate the 10MW solar facility will be approximately 80 acres. For production we have estimated about 1400MWh per year."

Now with these absolute facts in mind
who do you believe

Will an actual solar site be 20 acres in size or will it be more like 80?
Will output be 18,730,101Kwh or will it be closer to 1400Mwh (which I calculate to be 1,400,000 Kwh)

Remember we just happen to be comparing apples to apples ....with chucks fixed tilt at 45 degrees for Estevan...and Sask Power saying there will be no tracking ability (at same Estevan city)
There's also that guy, oneoff who calculated out the land that 10 Mw solar PV capacity would require to just fit on; and he pointed out the sun does set on a regular basis and 10 Mw boiler nameplate ratings are grossly misleading in yearly energy output when it is only useful about 15% of the time.

You'll note that there is only one new math calculation in this post (converting an estimated 1400Mwh to equivalent Kwh) . In addition none of the quotes referred to are edited or misrepresented in any way.

I rest my case.

[chuckChuck]

So have you convinced Saskpower to stop the insanity? Good luck with that!

The NREL output estimate is basically the same output for 10mw system as what Saskpower is estimating at 1400mwh. So don't need to argue about that do we?

The land issue is a moot point as there is lots of land in Estevan and area. 20, 40 acres who cares? How many acres are used for coal mining and reservoirs? 1000s of acres!

The economics? $1.5 million per year of revenue at 11 cents per kwh on an investment of 25-30 million. Cost of fuel is 0. Operating cost? Depreciation? Maintenance, Replacement?

How does this compare to existing coal, new coal with CCS? Gas with CCS? Wind?

The LCOE shows both new wind and Solar PV are much cheaper than coal with CCS.

Get your pencil out. Go head to head with Saskpower on this oneoff.

[oneoff]

[QUOTE=chuckChuck;335351]

"The NREL output estimate is basically the same output for 10mw system as what Saskpower is estimating at 1400mwh. So don't need to argue about that do we?"

No I guess we don't have to argue if in your mind your figure of 18,730,101Kwh is within reason the same order of magnitude as Sask Power's 1,400,000Kwh.

But most people would say a 13.38 times difference isn't very close to the same figure.

I've put my foot in my mouth a few times but you've had a long time to get your brain in gear

[chuckChuck]

rechecking my numbers