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Solar — it's not just a clean power source producing zero emissions and almost no local water impact, it's also now one of the best choices on the basis of how much energy you get back for your investment. And with climate change impacts rising, solar's further potential to take some of the edge off the harm that's coming down the pipe makes speeding its adoption a clear no-brainer.
In 2016, according a trends analysis based on this report by the Royal Society of London, the energy return on energy investment (EROEI) for oil appears to have fallen below a ratio of 15 to 1 globally. In places like the United States, where extraction efforts increasingly rely on unconventional techniques like fracking, that EROEI has fallen to 10 or 11 to 1 or lower.
Meanwhile, according to a new study by the Imperial College of London, solar energy's return on investment ratio as of 2015 was 14 to 1 and rising. What this means is that a global energy return on investment inflection point between oil and solar was likely reached at some time during the present year.
(Score: 1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 23 2016, @04:39PM
Thanks for the link. But if we have more solar or wind plants, we'll also need more gas peaker plants for when renewables are idle. Those peakers look pricey. I'll agree that there is social good associated with using renewables, but there is also a cost that seems to be ignored.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 24 2016, @08:33AM
Some morons modded that as "troll"??? WTF? That dude(ette) actually posted real stuff. Where is solar at night? Where is wind during calm days??
The problem is our energy usage is based on DEMAND requirements, not on SUPPLY availability. And that's how it will continue no matter how many "smart meters" you put in. Maybe you'll have able to charge your future electric car when it's day, but you want your food cooked for you every day, when you are hungry, not when the wind is blowing! And you certainly can't have steel mill or bakeries work at the whims of clouds.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 24 2016, @03:58PM
Each one of those cars is a battery ready to run your microwave when you need it.
Furthermore the GP claimed that gas plants were 'expensive' when in fact they are just a bit more expensive than solar. So build a few of those for smoothing out the peaks and valleys from solar and wind you are good to go.