Solar toys

2009 Dec 1

On Oct. 25, 2009, Barack Obama presided over the beginning of operation of the largest solar-energy facility yet built in the United States. "Largest Solar-Panel Plant in U.S. Rises in Florida" by Christine Armario, Associated Press, Oct. 23, 2009, brings word that this plant cost $150 million to build and is sited on 180 acres of Florida land. It is touted as a "25-megawatt" facility.

"Florida's New 90,000-Solar-Panel Power Station" by Energy Matters, Renewable Energy News, Oct. 12, 2009, reports that the builder, Florida Power and Light Company, estimates that it will produce 42,000 megawatt hours per year of electricity.

(42,000) / (24) (365) = 4.8 megawatts. (4.8) / (25) = 0.19 – so the plant actually produces, on average, 19 percent of the energy produced at its peak output under perfect conditions – the "25-megawatt" figure. This fivefold difference is typical of reports on solar installations.

The annual 42,000 megawatt hours at 6 cents per kilowatt hour (the current price in Oregon) is worth $2.52 million. At 10 cents (a reasonable national average for "on peak" power – "off peak" costs much less), 42,000 megawatt hours is worth $4.2 million.

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Using 6 cents, ($150 million) ÷ ($2.52 million per year) = 60 years. At 10 cents, ($150 million) ÷ ($4.2 million per year) = 36 years. Moreover, these are ordinary consumer prices. Industry uses large amounts of less expensive "off peak" power – power generated when public use is lower, such as at night. These estimates of years to recover cost do not include maintenance and other expenses.

The Palo Verde nuclear-power station – long ago fully paid for by power generated during its first few years of operation – currently produces electricity at a cost of 1.65 cents per kilowatt hour. At this price, the Florida array would require 214 years to pay its costs of construction – if it were in competition with nuclear power that is available whether or not the sun is shining.

At current consumer rates and operating costs, the new Florida solar array will need to operate for a long time just to return the capital that was required to build it. In competition with Palo Verde, this would be more than 200 years. Since the estimated lifetime of solar panels is now about 30 years, maintenance and replacement costs will extend the payback period. Moreover, solar-panel output diminishes over time. The Florida array has a realistic capital return period of at least 50 years – about the same as the Nellis Air Force Base and Google solar plants.

Read more: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=117541

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