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In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

theguardian.com

11–20 of 228 posts

Re: In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

#11
Denmark is a poor location for solar. They are pretty far north and don't have a lot of sunny days that are good for solar generation. When they do, those peaks drive energy prices negative. From the article: Over the next 10 years, the official expectation is a very large rise in the amount of solar produced. But that kind of clashes with the reality on the ground – they can’t make money

Re: In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

#12
One interesting detail about Denmark's renewable energy infrastructure mix is that Vestas, the largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world, is a cornerstone of Danish industry. Note in the article that wind supplies about 40% of Denmark's electrical needs, and that the populist right party mentioned in the article doesn't attack wind turbines, despite the antipathy that other (supposedly populist) rightwing figures do in other countries.

Re: In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

#13
This would’ve been a non issue if human beings worked together as a species, but we don’t. There is plenty of space on the planet where no one lives and nothing thrives that could be converted massive solar farms that power the planet.

Re: In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

#14

This would’ve been a non issue if human beings worked together as a species, but we don’t. There is plenty of space on the planet where no one lives and nothing thrives that could be converted massive solar farms that power the planet.

Transmitting that energy from where nobody lives to where people do live becomes the problem with that.

Re: In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

#15
post #6
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that really a "dirty secret"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Europe_Synchronous... exists for good reason.

The power grids of US states are similarly linked. Very dirty.

Except for Texas, which decided as a state that avoiding federal regulation was worth people dying every winter from power outages.

Re: In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

#16

This would’ve been a non issue if human beings worked together as a species, but we don’t. There is plenty of space on the planet where no one lives and nothing thrives that could be converted massive solar farms that power the planet.

Transmitting that energy from where nobody lives to where people do live becomes the problem with that.

Buckmister Fuller envisioned a worldwide high-voltage transmission network implemented with 1980’s technology, there just isn’t the worldwide political will or cooperation to build it.

Re: In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

#17
post #5

The dirty secret is of course that the Danish power grid would be totally unusable without the base power provided from Sweden and Norway. They almost suffered a catastrophic shutdown a year or two ago and the situation has not improved

The only dirty secret is that humans are happy to kill future generations as the effects of the oil economy will only minimally affect the people alive today.

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Re: In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

#18

The dirty secret is of course that the Danish power grid would be totally unusable without the base power provided from Sweden and Norway. They almost suffered a catastrophic shutdown a year or two ago and the situation has not improved

That's like pointing out that Rhode Island isn't designed to be a self-sufficient grid.

Re: In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

#19

This would’ve been a non issue if human beings worked together as a species, but we don’t. There is plenty of space on the planet where no one lives and nothing thrives that could be converted massive solar farms that power the planet.

We work together pretty well. From a 20,000 foot level maybe it looks like chaos and like a central guiding hand would make everything better. But, two people working together is easier to direct than 100,000 people (or more!). Unpacking this gives us the wonders of the economics and behavioral psychology. I’d say, all things considered, we could be doing a hell of a lot worse on cooperation with each other.

Re: In Denmark, the spread of solar panels has become a divisive issue

#20
Denmark has undergone the same sort of right wing populism that has gone through most of the west. Including rhetorical tricks like this.

Though the recent election is slight swing to the left, and the newly created right wing parties are already undergoing various forms of internal meltdowns, making a center left government friendly green energy projects most likely.

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