not so USELESS RAMBLINGS
efficient panels. The downside to this is the increase of discarded panels. The officials in the industry and government offices do not want to admit that large amounts of annual waste are expected by the 2030’s; reports suggest that we’re looking at 78 million tons by the 2050’s. The The tree huggers, certain factions within the government, possibility of recycling the panels could be a multispecial interest groups, and some of the globalist elites keep billion dollar industry, provided that an efficient way of pushing for green energy. Everywhere you collecting the valuable materials is look there are wind powered generators found. Recycling a single solar panel popping up. Massive wind turbines dotting is estimated to cost about $30, but the countryside making you question this only recovers about $3 worth of whether the farmers are growing corn and material. It costs less than $5 to dump beans or windmills. Homes are having their that same panel in a landfill. roofs covered in solar panels, companies are filling excess property with small Wind turbines were frozen in place solar fields, and then there are the large back in February of 2021 during a rare solar fields being installed by counties deep freeze that hit western Texas. and states. Even auto manufacturers have Due to Texas’ green energy advocates, been pressured into “going green” and natural gas and coal powered electric are pumping out more and more battery generation stations had been either powered vehicles. All of this in the name taken offline or had severely reduced of saving the planet from the boogeyman production leaving a large amount known as fossil fuels, but is it all really of people without power for several worth it in the end? days. If Texas has an issue with frozen wind turbines, shouldn’t that also be a Solar panels used to be fairly expensive, but concern for Iowa based wind turbines? over the years the technology has improved dramatically. The panels have become smaller, lighter, and much more I have found estimates that say a wind turbine costs about efficient; they have also decreased in price. Over the past 10 $1.3 million for each 1 megawatt of power. A typical wind years, the conversion efficiency of the panels has increased turbine produces between 2 and 3 megawatts. Most offshore as much as 0.5% each year. turbines cost 10’s of millions of dollars to erect. Let’s also add in around $50,000 a year of routine maintenance for the The government offers a Solar Investment Tax Credit to smaller units. those that install solar panels at businesses and on homes, which defrays costs. What started at 30% in 2006 then Now, because these turbines rely on the wind to actually dropped to 26% in 2019. This year the credit dropped do their job, we are forced to look at the power generation to 10% for commercial installations, but disappeared aspect. Just like riding a bicycle, the amount of force you completely for home installations. exert on the pedals translates into how fast you are going to travel. Likewise, the stronger the wind, the faster the blades When the technology gets better there are financial spin, the more power is generated. Just because a single incentives for upgrading to the newer, cheaper, more
Brown Energy
20 - TRMI NOVEMBER 2023
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