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Forum Index : Solar : 3,000,000 Panels & Batteries for QLD
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Madness Guru  Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
It has just been announced that private company is planning to build a 800 MEGAWATT solar farm with batteries near Gympie QLD. They say the numbers stack up for this to stand on it's own legs financially. More information here. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Cool. I see its got battery storage as well to supply base load. I guess for a company, investing in solar makes more sense long term than investing in coal/gas/nuclear. Once the power station is build, the running costs are very low compared to conventional power stations. You dont need to supply it with coal or gas or nuclear, or deal with the fluctuating costs and other problems associated with those energy sources. Instead the energy source falls from the sky, its free. You would still have some maintenance costs, and periodic battery replacement, but I guess these costs would be tiny compared to supplying a coal fueled power station. In the future I would like to see off peak cheap power moved from late night to the middle of the day, when the sun is shining. This would promote more solar, take the load off storage systems at night, and cut costs for many businesses who work night shifts to take advantage of cheaper off peak power. If the government wont move forward, then private enterprise will. Mind you I'll bet some in the government are wondering if they could tax sunlight. The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
I didn't want to get political but as you mentioned it Glenn. Government say's "coal is good" Also, they probably will say they can't give off peak rates during the day as there are too many on high solar rebates. But back on topic, there have been several interviews on local ABC radio about this and they were pushing the point that the cost of sunlight won't be changing anytime soon. Also representative of Solar Australia said they get contacted regularly by super funds etc wanting to invest in renewable energy. The project is supposed to stand up financially, the scales are tipping in favour of renewables. As for maintenance cost, how much would it cost to maintain a solar installation compared to mining equipment, trains, bulldozers and power stations? A fact that not many are aware of also is the nuclear radioactive material that comes out of coal fired power stations. (Yes that is not a typo) There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Yeah trying to keep politically neutral, but lets face it, both sides are pro coal. The big advantage coal has over renewables is employment. We have a growing population ( the elephant in the room ), people need jobs, and the fossil fuel industry provides lots and lots of jobs. My main income is writing software for businesses that service the coal mining industry. So like a lot of people, I depend on coal for my income. Its not just the miners, its the truck drivers, the people who service the machinery, the people who provide accommodation, food, infrastructure, IT. Whole towns are build around coal. So its not going away in a hurry, but with the growth in solar farms and cheaper energy, driven by private enterprise, the government needs to gently move away from coal before it suddenly becomes redundant as a base load energy source. We will always need coal for steel production, so mining and the industries that supply it will continue, but its no longer the growth industry it was a few years ago. I'm lucky, my software can be used by any manufacturing business, and I'm looking for more clients not in the coal service industry. But for a 2nd generation miner with a mortgage on a over priced property in a mining town, their choices are limited. The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
They are saying we are going to have boom based on minerals for batteries, Lithium etc. Sadly Australia is losing the plot, in my opinion, there are lots of smart and ingenious people here that could develop and sell new technologies to the world but all the focus is on digging stuff out of the ground and selling it to overseas countries. The Gympie Solar Farm is apparently only going to need 8 staff once completed. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| Georgen Guru Joined: 13/09/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 462 |
Initial cost will be the biggest problem. Then few too many days of bad weather could give headaches, unless there will be special clause in contracts with users, to take solar power supplier off the hook. George |
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| Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
The numbers stack up financially, being able to instantly supply from batteries as demand is required also means the get more cents per KWH than standard solar or wind. The user is the grid so they would only have one contract for supply. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| Boppa Guru Joined: 08/11/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 814 |
Actually the mining industry has over the last few years used less and less people to strip out more and more coal Hence the shift to larger and larger trucks, some of which are now self driving, plus more and more track for railways to ports straight from mines I know from experience from working in the mines in Qld,NSW and WA that shift sizes have dramatically reduced over the years I worked there (when I first started, 800 to 1200 per shift at one mine I worked at, when I left less than 200 per shift (half of those admin!!!) yet the output had doubled |
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| Georgen Guru Joined: 13/09/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 462 |
Probably off topic, but we (The World) urgently need to implement some kind of population control. Numbers seem to talk for themselves. George |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Yeap, its a touchy subject, population control. Maybe "Population Planning" would be a better phrase. Fact is, its pretty simple logic. We live on a sphere with a fixed area and resources. If a population continues to grow, at some point, the area and resources will not be enough. Yes we are improving agriculture, resource management, etc, but every year we improve the supply, the population also grows, so its a never ending battle. Eventually we will hit the wall of what we can do to feed and house the growing population. That will be a scary time to be alive. My view is the longer we delay discussion and implement population planning, the bigger the problem we pass on to our kids. It wont be a easy topic to discuss, lots of religious and cultural barriers, but we need to start. I have siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews, a happy family group. We have also had 0 population growth over the last few generations. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
There is a very simple way to help reduce the spread of the human plague without causing any grief to anyone. Make birth control freely available and free to everyone who wants it. May not be the complete solution but is certainly a way that would help. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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Tinker Guru Joined: 07/11/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1904 |
Nah, won't work with any politician. They relay on "growth". And how do you get this "growth"? By having more people, of course. More people, more taxes ..... Klaus |
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| Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
Easy get rid of politicians. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| jimbo007 Newbie  Joined: 23/10/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1 |
The concept of population control causes significant problems as became evident in China. People wanted a son to carry on the family name and so many pregnancies which were female were aborted which has led to a shortage of wives for the men. That is why the one child policy has beed altered to allow more children so as to deter this practice. |
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isaiah Guru Joined: 25/12/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 303 |
They have been using population control for years here in the USA started with WW1 and up to date and now when one gets old and has to go to one of these homes you dont last long there ! Our local power company back in 2009 put out a article the electricity will become a pricey luxury rather than a affordable staple and they produce nothing , they buy on the open market!! They are building new buildings for their trucks and offices for the office people this is huge and all poured cement wall buildings!!! even the truck garage is poured walls!!a good pole barn would be more than acquit. They changed from a corporation to a member controlled coop where the board of directors are the controlling members. This is provided for in the state law ! . URL=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1973-11- 01/The-Plowboy-Interview.aspx>The Plowboy Interview[/URL> |
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