Is solar a meme? Should power companies really be worried?

>>1484325
>hahaha bro we're totally going green!!
>we just need all this material which can't be made green-ly!

it's a meme

>>1484331
So far the only people i see using solar is the power companies themselves lol.

>>1484336
see it pretty often here but I live almost in the desert and there is(was?) a rebate on solar which made it more appealing

>>1484325
Farms and other rural areas use them a lot, because Ontario's hydro is a scam and charges rural areas 1000-2000% of what they charge Torontonians. It's ridiculous.

>>1484331
>I shouldn't transition out of un-green energy use because it costs existing non-green energy to do so

I have no dog in the race but your logic is full on retarded.

>>1484386
not my logic bruh, it's the logic of people who try to tell you solar power is green

>>1484325
I worked as a door canvasser for a reputable solar company for a short period of time and based on my experience it's a meme and folks won't be rushing to put panels on their roofs.

It isn't a new technology anymore. Those that want them have them, those that don't want them will never get them. There's a lot to consider when signing up for panel installation such as: "Does the installation void my homeowner's insurance?" and "If there's a fire and the fire department breaches the roof who pays for the damaged panels and damaged roof?"

>>1484398
>2-2=3
You're an idiot.

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>>1484412
strong argument

>>1484417
I'm not making an argument, I have no dog in the race. I'm illustrating how utterly retarded your argument is.

>>1484325
I don't think it's a meme(this appropriation of the word is annoying, but oh well), but I don't think it's THE solution either. I think the answer to fossil fuels is the culmination of every alternative energy source in concert.

That said, there's growth in efficiency in solar power every year, not to mention technologies that make it literally transparent to the end user. Like solar cells embedded in window panes that are literally invisible/see-through. I think this is a more feasible option than panels on the roof, which are more difficult to maintain by reasoning of their location alone. I think with more accessible applications of solar power like this, more people will be likely to use it to offset their electricity costs.

Many power companies are already investing in alternative energy. It's the companies who aren't diversifying and researching new tech that will fall by the wayside in the long term.

>>1484402
This is a great post.

Speaking from a purely engineering standpoint, as I've actually taken a class in power engineering w/r/t solar power: it's really not the magic bullet most people think it is. The efficiency is low, the upkeep gets pricey, and the initial costs are nosebleed-worthy. There's a lot of promise there in the future, but we need to be patient and wait for the technology.

(Hilariously, one of the homework questions in that class was determining what percentage of the US would be taken up by solar panels if we tried to produce nearly all of our power needs via solar panel - it's a huge fucking amount).

IMHO the best option is still nuclear power, though the NRC has all but made that a goddamn nightmare. I don't blame them, but seeing the costs involved in getting a powerplant online will make your dick crawl into your body.

>>1484325
Its a great thought but their are mot enough resources to make said panels.

If they decide to go all in solar, buy as much copper as you can mate

>>1484357
Transmission and distribution costs money mate and it costs significantly more per household in the country.