Re:The Rooftop Solar Industry Could Be on the Verge of Collapse
by KoftaBob on Monday January 29, 2024 @02:38AM
(#39173742)
I think the commenter was implying that rather than putting it on the roof of people's homes, the focus should be on utility-scale solar power stations.
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Re:The Rooftop Solar Industry Could Be on the Verge of Collapse
by Tade0 on Monday January 29, 2024 @02:48AM
(#39173803)
Which doesn't make too much sense outside of the US, where land isn't nearly as cheap.
Re:The Rooftop Solar Industry Could Be on the Verge of Collapse
by konschubert on Monday January 29, 2024 @02:51AM
(#39173820)
It makes sense in any country that has agriculture.
Solar produces 10x as much power per area than energy crops.
And other than with crops, you can have sheep grazing and have a functioning meadow ecosystem develop below the panels.
Re:The Rooftop Solar Industry Could Be on the Verge of Collapse
by emmet on Monday January 29, 2024 @04:04AM
(#39174261)
What are the upfront & maintenance costs of solar vs crops on that kind of scale? I'd hazard a guess it's a little more than 10x.
Also, how are you planning to grow meadows under solar panels without any sunlight?
Re:The Rooftop Solar Industry Could Be on the Verge of Collapse
by konschubert on Monday January 29, 2024 @04:29AM
(#39174417)
I’m honestly super excited about you asking because I think I’ll be able to change your mind with a single picture:
https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Getty...
The sun moves, and therefore the shadows move. And you need some space between the panels anyways, so they don’t shade each other. Also, grass can grow in the shadow!
The cost of installation is not a problem, because the ROI is greater than the interest on a loan. That’s what banks are for!