404 when accessed with Indian IP
same with German IP
Project Sunroof
131–140 of 233 posts
Re: Project Sunroof
#132Earlier quoted context omitted.
I always find it a bit dishonest sounding when these things are referred to as producing a "savings". Solar on a residential rooftop is not financially sustainable when you consider the cost of capital and require a market ROI. So I assume that lessors in this case are receiving a non-trivial government subsidy. Which means, in the end, that whatever the lessee is "saving" and then some is being paid in additional ta…
Well, look at the subsidies for the existing energy companies. Nuclear companies get the waste handling for free, if they break regulations, often the government pays the bill... Coal companies never pay for the damages to the environment their huge quarries do... Subsidies for solar are just one part of it. If you take these subsidies that you give the energy companies, and add them as tax to the electricity price,…
If what you're saying is correct, if subsidies were removed across the board taxes would go down, energy costs would go up and solar would take off and replace coal because it would be the (real) best deal.
Re: Project Sunroof
#133Re: Project Sunroof
#134I live in San Francisco and just had a solar system installed last week, so I have a few comments about this. 1) It vastly overestimated how big a solar system that could fit on my roof (by about 5x). It didn't care about chimneys or skylights (which are easily visible through Google maps), nor SF fire code which states that you need a 3-foot empty pathway on both sides of the crest of your roof [1]. So for almost ev…
I always find it a bit dishonest sounding when these things are referred to as producing a "savings". Solar on a residential rooftop is not financially sustainable when you consider the cost of capital and require a market ROI. So I assume that lessors in this case are receiving a non-trivial government subsidy. Which means, in the end, that whatever the lessee is "saving" and then some is being paid in additional ta…
This is an argument detached from two realities: (1) that fossil fuels receive enormous subsidies in the US and worldwide, and (2) that there is an enormous impact of CO2 on global climate, health, and ecosystems (not to mention the local environmental and health impacts of coal mining and fracking). When accounting for these costs, it becomes increasingly dishonest to claim that fossil fuels are cheaper than renewables.
Re: Project Sunroof
#135Earlier quoted context omitted.
[deleted]
It hasn't reached most of the US either... Give it some time!
In most of Europe, the website just returns 404. This is like... the worst link ever.
I’d prefer if a mod would replace the URL with a link to either the About page or the video. Or to an archive.org cache of the site.
Linking to a site that 404's for almost everyone is inacceptable.
Re: Project Sunroof
#136Can anyone with more knowledge of solar technology speak to this? I know nothing about solar technology developments. I am interested in adding solar to my house some day, but concerned about spending a lot of money today for solar panels that will either (a) be much cheaper in 5-10 years, or (b) be replaced by much more effective panels in 5-10 years. Assuming that the economics of it are the only motivation for goi…
And advancements in fusion, fission, wind, etc that could make today's solar less worthwhile.
No one can predict how much the landscape can change in that time and I wonder if Googles 20-year savings model tries to account for predicted advancements -- and also importantly if their "savings" accounts for the time value of money -- the amount that could be had just by investing generally instead of investing in your own solar. Time to investigate....
Edit: Google "Assumes 2.2% annual increase in electricity prices." That's interesting. We should be talking present value terms so inflation is irrelevant. Are they assuming no tech advancements in the next 20 years? What would be driving up those costs other than inflation?
Re: Project Sunroof
#137http://www.zonatlas.nl granted it is in dutch and made by a completely boring governmental institution. OTH it's made with openstreetmap.
It's not a governmental institution but an NGO which unites many local governments and other participants.
http://www.zonatlas.nl/home/over-de-zonatlas/
It is a very impressive site.
Re: Project Sunroof
#138Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, look at the subsidies for the existing energy companies. Nuclear companies get the waste handling for free, if they break regulations, often the government pays the bill... Coal companies never pay for the damages to the environment their huge quarries do... Subsidies for solar are just one part of it. If you take these subsidies that you give the energy companies, and add them as tax to the electricity price,…
If what you're saying is correct, if subsidies were removed across the board taxes would go down, energy costs would go up and solar would take off and replace coal because it would be the (real) best deal.
What do you think why German electricity companies are trying to sell their gas and coal business and focus on renewables as much as possible?
In Germany, the effect is even stronger: As we are taxed per kWh, the electricity is quite expensive. On the other hand, this money is then spent on subsidies for solar and wind. Overall making solar and wind so extremely cost effective that anything else becomes stupid.
And, at the same time, it leads to people saving really a lot of energy. A family of 4 using 3000kWh per year or less is common.
Re: Project Sunroof
#139Earlier quoted context omitted.
I always find it a bit dishonest sounding when these things are referred to as producing a "savings". Solar on a residential rooftop is not financially sustainable when you consider the cost of capital and require a market ROI. So I assume that lessors in this case are receiving a non-trivial government subsidy. Which means, in the end, that whatever the lessee is "saving" and then some is being paid in additional ta…
This is an argument detached from two realities: (1) that fossil fuels receive enormous subsidies in the US and worldwide, and (2) that there is an enormous impact of CO2 on global climate, health, and ecosystems (not to mention the local environmental and health impacts of coal mining and fracking). When accounting for these costs, it becomes increasingly dishonest to claim that fossil fuels are cheaper than renewab…
That may or may not be the case, but the claims that these systems are "cheaper" prey on economic ignorance.
Re: Project Sunroof
#140Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is an argument detached from two realities: (1) that fossil fuels receive enormous subsidies in the US and worldwide, and (2) that there is an enormous impact of CO2 on global climate, health, and ecosystems (not to mention the local environmental and health impacts of coal mining and fracking). When accounting for these costs, it becomes increasingly dishonest to claim that fossil fuels are cheaper than renewab…
That may or may not be the case, but the claims that these systems are "cheaper" prey on economic ignorance.
Mind your comment and wait and see what will happen after 20 years