US solar plant costs fall another 30 per cent in one year

Re:US solar plant costs fall another 30 per cent in one year by dogruck on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @11:08PM (#15290477)

That's a generic view which I might actually be inclined to agree with you on. I'm personally skeptical of the current climate change politics, for example.

But OP made a more specific claim about solar arrays in the desert. Seems like we should be able to debate that on its merits.

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Re:US solar plant costs fall another 30 per cent in one year by samolang on Wednesday September 20, 2017 @02:42AM (#15291318)

That alternative to putting them in the desert is putting them in some non-desert area or putting them nowhere. If these people are objecting to putting them in a desert, they'll object to putting them in a non-desert area too.

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Re:US solar plant costs fall another 30 per cent in one year by DamonHD on Wednesday September 20, 2017 @03:41AM (#15291550)

Making better use og roof-tops generally is a win as far as environmentalists are concerned; NIMBYs/BANANAs may complain however.

Not that I see any intrinsic beauty in concrete titles or roofing felt. Even clay tiles and slates I suspect are just something we have gotten used to.

In all cases they are a financial and embodied energy and financial cost as-is, and PV can turn them into something positive.

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Re:US solar plant costs fall another 30 per cent in one year by evgen on Wednesday September 20, 2017 @09:48AM (#15293653)

Ignorant people look at a desert and see lifeless desolation. When they educate themselves they come to see the desert as an very active environment with limited resources, and cut-throat competition for same, that makes human impact more pronounced. Better to put solar panels over scrubland or even farmland than into deserts.

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