Just one of Tesla's early micro grid projects. They also have larger plants under construction in the USA and storage facilities completed.

It's a good model for regional and new communities to consider rather than grid connect. Bulk purchase is far cheaper than going it alone and this stuff gets cheaper every day as fossil fuel grid power gets more expensive.

Awesome

I can't work out the size of the righthander in the foreground, but that looks worth saving

That is so good to see clean energy being more financially viable than fossil fuels, at the end of the day market forces and the all mighty dollar drive everything whether we like it or not.
it is great to see the tide slowly shifting towards clean energy as a viable/ profitable solution

You do know how they make the batteries don't you?

maybe google something like

50 year eroei batteries

Battery technology itself is going through its exponential development phase. What we will see in 3-5 years time will dwarf even the lithium batteries now.

Its the the carbon footprint over 50 years that counts, not the initial production. It's called looking ahead for a generation or two, rather than the next election cycle.

That's right.

The alternative?

What's the carbon footprint of 50 more years of coal power?

How much embodied energy goes into building a nuclear power plant? Gigantic.

Clean coal - hasn't got a hope in hell. Too expensive and too risky an investment.

Battery technology is changing rapidly. Lithium ion tech is a short term option. Plenty of new emerging technologies that are 100% recyclable coming on the market.

Batteries are made from hydrocarbons
dug up from the earth, processed, processed again and again and again
you simply cannot dig up and make batteries from battery power

Micro grids are great to power your home and grow your vegetables but you can't use them to make ipads

the generation that thinks milks comes from the shops also think energy comes from a hole in the wall

in fact, 99% of the energetic potential of the current economy has been created by and is dependent on hydrocarbons

www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=86e8dfbc-1467-47fe-ad1e-bc635407ecf8&subId=301736

www.defence.gov.au/whitepaper/docs/103-Manufacturship.pdf

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eppo said..
Battery technology itself is going through its exponential development phase. What we will see in 3-5 years time will dwarf even the lithium batteries now.

Its the the carbon footprint over 50 years that counts, not the initial production. It's called looking ahead for a generation or two, rather than the next election cycle.

Seems a shame to kill the flamingos for a short term technological substitution

www.conservationmagazine.org/2011/11/changing-the-battery/

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Rails said..
Batteries are made from hydrocarbons
dug up from the earth, processed, processed again and again and again
you simply cannot dig up and make batteries from battery power

Micro grids are great to power your home and grow your vegetables but you can't use them to make ipads

the generation that thinks milks comes from the shops also think energy comes from a hole in the wall

in fact, 99% of the energetic potential of the current economy has been created by and is dependent on hydrocarbons

www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=86e8dfbc-1467-47fe-ad1e-bc635407ecf8&subId=301736

www.defence.gov.au/whitepaper/docs/103-Manufacturship.pdf

Isn't pretty much EVERYTHING made from hydrocarbons? All our resins, plastics, clothing fibers, the list goes on and the factories run all night and day producing plastic widgets that we need. Even with solar and wind generation etc., won't we still be screwed when the oil runs out?

I know shock horror. Stop progress now and go back to steam engines.

Sooo... we use the remaining fossil fuels to build enough sustainable power infrastructure to enable iPads to be made, in the same time reducing the carbon footprint to manageable levels. What's the alternative, just keep burning fossil fuels until they run out?

Take india for example who have been installing infrastructure for Solar power generation to a price point that will be cheaper than using fossil fuels in the next 5 years.

So whose the backwards thinking country here?

We're not backward thinking, but we do keep voting in people who are.

Indeed. Hence as a majority I'd say we are right up there in the backwards ass end of planning a sustainable future.

Select to expand quote

Harrow said..

Rails said..
Batteries are made from hydrocarbons
dug up from the earth, processed, processed again and again and again
you simply cannot dig up and make batteries from battery power

Micro grids are great to power your home and grow your vegetables but you can't use them to make ipads

the generation that thinks milks comes from the shops also think energy comes from a hole in the wall

in fact, 99% of the energetic potential of the current economy has been created by and is dependent on hydrocarbons

www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=86e8dfbc-1467-47fe-ad1e-bc635407ecf8&subId=301736

www.defence.gov.au/whitepaper/docs/103-Manufacturship.pdf

Isn't pretty much EVERYTHING made from hydrocarbons? All our resins, plastics, clothing fibers, the list goes on and the factories run all night and day producing plastic widgets that we need. Even with solar and wind generation etc., won't we still be screwed when the oil runs out?

Yes, but,
most don't think about it
those that think about it are comforted by the market propaganda about infinite substitutability
those that are not so comfortable with this delusion
end up in heavy weather

Banks say no to new coal plants and mines but ARENA + banks say yes to 12 new solar farms. I guess they stack up!

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/16/large-scale-solar-industry-takes-off-12-new-plants-finance