Renewable energy is so fucking cheap....

I recently passed a house with 2 sets of solar panels, at right angles.

It reminded me of the lyric "Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong".

With Ai these days, it's trivial to do a solar survey as a starting point. Don't forget elevation too ...

The problem of 'natural monopolies' is almost insoluble:

Soviet union in the 1960s was hell for ordinary people because everything was monopolised by the State

water, roads, railway tracks, the national grid...last 5 miles of copper/fibre - you cant build in effective competition to them

the best models so far has been private ownership and a disinterested regulator. Its been OK for the grid, quite good for open reach. poor for railtrack and s*it for water.

The thing is, solar panels are now very cheap - cheaper than other kinds of roofing. So it's now economic to install them in locations which would once be overlooked as non-optimal. Even north facing panels work - about half as efficient as south facing panels. If all you have is a north facing roof then it can still be worth doing.

You don't need an AI - just go to:

select your location and add some details about your panels and their orientation. It will calculate based on the climate at your location. (something the AI almost certainly won't do)

Theo

If you have a spare mobile phone, and some sort of app, you can put one out at various angles and elevations to gauge what works where you are. Apparently.

Its a trivial calculation, but of course the prime requirement for Believing In Green Ernery is a total inability to do SimpleSums™

Angles are simple, but the models include things like the temperature variation and amount of cloud cover at your location and when in the year it typically falls. Something that is beyond your SimpleSums.

Theo

Well that is beyond even ClimbIt CyanTits as well.

So you have to go with best guess anyway

However when determining panel orientation, its irrelevant. No amount of panel orientation is going to compensate for alack off sunlight

Commodotising lifes essentials is not compulsory in life. It takes aways peoples natural right to survive on their own term.

The fair exchange is to make sure everyone is provided for,

Otherwise you may as will give up on the agreement and go back to nature.

I didn't say it wasn't.

However what you calculate and what you observe may differ. Hence my suggestion of getting some in situ data.

I'd be quite happy to accept the charge of gullibility if you'd cite a decent source. Breath not held . . .

'Socialised', geo/political, economic, social, and environmental benefits.

The fossil fuel backstop is a regrettable necessity of renewables.

OoI, if you were in charge, when do you think this 'nuclear fleet' could be online?

And there in a nutshell we have it. No actual knowledge, just an appeal to a 'decent source' which by definition, would be one that supports your position. One does not reason with a man whose position in not arrived at by logic, experience or knowledge, but by faith...

No, in the main, NESO. You were told, given web links, and extended quotes.

In fairness you have in the past given sources. And they had some traction 10+ years' ago. But not now.

So you're suggesting he invests £8-10k for a solar/battery installation.That's a lot of effort to save a paltry amount, he's only paying circa £175 a month including around £15 a month standing charges which he won't save at all.

Any solar savings will mainly come in summer months, so unless he has money sitting idle it's hardly worth it.

I had a quote from a reputable local firm for solar+battery and would not have had much change from £10k, I would be long dead before the costs would be recouped.

I think you’re replying to TNP, but I’d have to say I agree with you.

What people don’t seem to take into account is the money lost from investments, say 4% in a cash ISA or 10% in a roboinvested ISA; greater returns are available at greater risk.

I costed a heat pump, insulation, solar, battery, and inverter at £30k. The lost investment would be £1200 pa for the cash ISA or £3000pa for the roboinvestment.

The latter is currently more than my total energy expenditure, so undertaking that change would make me a loss, compounded by the electricity costs which also need to be taken into account.

Yup. I costed out both a heat pump AND separtely batteries to store cheap rate leccy and run the house by day. Completely not worth it.

I average 7-15% p.a. ROI on my invested money With fairly low risk

Exactly. meanwhile, you have to larf:

From the Daily trashograph...

"Octopus Energy is asking customers to delay using washing machines, dishwashers and other plug-in devices between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday, when the Moon is expected to block up to 95pc of sunlight.

The eclipse will send solar generation plunging just as electricity demand begins to rise as millions of people return home from work.

The slump could knock out as much as 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of supply, according to the National Energy System Operator (Neso), which runs Britain’s electricity grid. That is enough electricity to power roughly half a million homes."

Not to worry, the wind turbines will take care of it!!

What will it be like in places where the coverage of the sun is 100% ?

From what I remember of the last "proper" eclipse, even if 5% of the sun makes it past, it still feels fairly light? You'll probably get weird "nibble" shaped shadows e.g. from leaves under trees ...

I remember it as pretty dark! East Kent.

I was supposed to be working in Exeter that day, but job finished early, so I was in Leicester ... wildlife did go quiet.