11/06/2021
Looking at the hurdles on our way to emissions by 2050. How do we get over these hurdles? Hint:
For solar, the same three issues come up;
1) POOR USE OF REAL ESTATE - Solar farms use up land. More surface area, more energy harvested. Sure, there's an abundance of land in West Texas & other remote areas, but how do you bring electricity to energy dense areas (Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas...)?
2) HIGH COST OF TRANSMISSION LINES - These carry the energy from solar farms to the cities. Construction is expensive and cost is passed down to the consumer, aka as delivery charges on your electric bill.
3) NO SOLAR ENERGY AT NIGHT - Relying solely on solar is not a viable option at this time. Energy storage is expensive, but improving quickly.
SOLUTION - Rooftop solar. Why? NO ADDITONAL REAL ESTATE IS NEEDED & ALL THE TRANSMISSION LINES ARE ALREADY IN PLACE!
The amount of roof space in alone captures enough sunlight to power over 100,000 homes, Carbon emission reduction would be equivalent to removing 1.9 Million cars off the road. We would use the microgrid instead of building massive transmission lines.
We're still not producing power at night, but that's ok. The solution to our energy needs involves multiple different sources working together simultaneously. Use the technology wisely!
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A broad shift toward renewable energy could transform landscapes and coastlines all over the United States.
