Crip1 Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-29/while-you-were-getting-worked-up-over-oil-prices-this-just-happened-to-solar.html A decade or so ago there were volumes of articles expounding on the tectonic shift of jobs and entire industries being outsourced to emerging economies such as India, China, etc. Many of the changes indicated therein have come to pass, but the magnitude and impact of the “shift” has been more muted than was spoken of back then. Should the cost of solar power, as indicated in this article, achieve price parity with conventional electricity (and, subsequently, become more cost effective than conventional electricity) then the ramifications would look to be immensely more far reaching than the outsourcing trends noted a decade-plus ago. Major industries will shrink and others will grow. The influence on the world geo-political stage will be massive…a true game-changer. -Crip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uccmal Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-29/while-you-were-getting-worked-up-over-oil-prices-this-just-happened-to-solar.html A decade or so ago there were volumes of articles expounding on the tectonic shift of jobs and entire industries being outsourced to emerging economies such as India, China, etc. Many of the changes indicated therein have come to pass, but the magnitude and impact of the “shift” has been more muted than was spoken of back then. Should the cost of solar power, as indicated in this article, achieve price parity with conventional electricity (and, subsequently, become more cost effective than conventional electricity) then the ramifications would look to be immensely more far reaching than the outsourcing trends noted a decade-plus ago. Major industries will shrink and others will grow. The influence on the world geo-political stage will be massive…a true game-changer. -Crip I concur. Its good to see you here again Crip. The price parity argument is nuts. The externalities of fossil fuel development and use are never taken into account whereas all the costs involved in solar are included. Take this example. A small city in Africa can only be reached by dirt roads, there is no pipeline, no decent fuel tanks, no pumping infrastructure, no transmission wires, and the oil/gas need to be imported. Whats cheaper in that situation? In the developed world we paid for the infrastructure over 3 generations for O&G. I have also read that it takes about a generation for a new energy technology to upset the old paradigm. Solar in PV, and concentrated mirror form has been around since I was kid. We are on the cusp of the point where it will become a much more significant power source very rapidly. That is not to say that other energy sources ever disappear. Wood still exists, as does coal. They just get overtaken by the newer source. Even the oil states are adding solar capacity. What would really work is for government to get out of the way and stop subsidizing the coal, and O&G industries. A good first start would be removing the tax benefits given to E&P companies, and charging coal companies the real cost of use of the infrastructure provided by society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffmori7 Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-29/while-you-were-getting-worked-up-over-oil-prices-this-just-happened-to-solar.html A decade or so ago there were volumes of articles expounding on the tectonic shift of jobs and entire industries being outsourced to emerging economies such as India, China, etc. Many of the changes indicated therein have come to pass, but the magnitude and impact of the “shift” has been more muted than was spoken of back then. Should the cost of solar power, as indicated in this article, achieve price parity with conventional electricity (and, subsequently, become more cost effective than conventional electricity) then the ramifications would look to be immensely more far reaching than the outsourcing trends noted a decade-plus ago. Major industries will shrink and others will grow. The influence on the world geo-political stage will be massive…a true game-changer. -Crip I concur. Its good to see you here again Crip. The price parity argument is nuts. The externalities of fossil fuel development and use are never taken into account whereas all the costs involved in solar are included. Take this example. A small city in Africa can only be reached by dirt roads, there is no pipeline, no decent fuel tanks, no pumping infrastructure, no transmission wires, and the oil/gas need to be imported. Whats cheaper in that situation? In the developed world we paid for the infrastructure over 3 generations for O&G. I have also read that it takes about a generation for a new energy technology to upset the old paradigm. Solar in PV, and concentrated mirror form has been around since I was kid. We are on the cusp of the point where it will become a much more significant power source very rapidly. That is not to say that other energy sources ever disappear. Wood still exists, as does coal. They just get overtaken by the newer source. Even the oil states are adding solar capacity. What would really work is for government to get out of the way and stop subsidizing the coal, and O&G industries. A good first start would be removing the tax benefits given to E&P companies, and charging coal companies the real cost of use of the infrastructure provided by society. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ERICOPOLY Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 This one is a gem: Similarly, the solar industry cannot use Master Limited Partnerships because the federal statute creating this structure makes fossil-fuel companies eligible, but not renewable energy companies. https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/17499-shrinking-solar-soft-costs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 This one is a gem: Similarly, the solar industry cannot use Master Limited Partnerships because the federal statute creating this structure makes fossil-fuel companies eligible, but not renewable energy companies. https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/17499-shrinking-solar-soft-costs This one made me cringe: "(5) Mandating Solar Buildings: The vanguard of government promotion of the solar industry, solar mandates require that new and renovated buildings include solar power. I can imagine a world a few decades hence where every building is equipped with a mini-fusion reactor which supplies all of the building's energy (no more gas/oil/propane needed), yet every new building built must budget for the required solar panels which are useless, but the big solar lobby fights the law from ever being repealed.... Do we never learn? It really is a wonder the candle making industry never got the electric light bulb banned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ERICOPOLY Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Do we never learn? It really is a wonder the candle making industry never got the electric light bulb banned. I'm ready for the coming ban on incandescents -- I'll go back to gas lighting! http://carolinalanterns.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Do we never learn? It really is a wonder the candle making industry never got the electric light bulb banned. I'm ready for the coming ban on incandescents -- I'll go back to gas lighting! http://carolinalanterns.com/ :) Those are awesome! Thanks for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now