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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices
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To: tejek who wrote (706379)3/28/2013 7:59:32 PM
From: Tenchusatsu1 Recommendation  Read Replies (3) of 1572745
 
Ted,
Please explain that assumption. 4.2GW is the final number........wouldn't the lower util. rate be already factored in.
No it's not. For solar panels, the maximum wattage is the stated figure. Actual wattage varies greatly depending on weather conditions, the time of day, and even the season.

Of course, fossil fuel generators don't run at 100% generation capacity all the time, either. The difference is that you can adjust the generator output to match demand for power at any given point in time.

I don't know what the typical utilization rates are for fossil fuel generation vs. renewable generation. I do think we should instead measure how much power was actually generated by solar and wind and compare that to fossil fuel generation, rather than compare theoretical capacities. Too bad I can't seem to find any nice graphs via Google in a short amount of time.

As for the increase in solar generation capacity, that's obviously due to the drop in solar panel manufacturing costs in recent years. It still cannot compete against, for example, natural gas in terms of cost, and the forecasted boom in natural gas production here in America will continue to depress demand for solar power generation.

But hey, solar power is "carbon-free" and "renewable," which is why it's the #1 choice for environmentalists.

Tenchusatsu
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