Are Renewables Right for Me?
Jan 18, 2016
Are Renewables Right for Me?
From 2010 Colorado Utilities Report
Solar Energy Industries Association, Market Insight Report – 2011 Year In Review
Solar – Small but Growing
Wind – Small but REALLY Growing
How Solar Works
How Wind Works
Location, Location Mount type
10 watts per square foot
Usable roof space
Tilt, azimuth
Sunny Days
Location, Location Part II
•Power in the wind • Effect of air density, • Effect of swept area, A• Effect of wind speed, V
R
Power in the Wind = ½ρAV3
Put turbines in areas of high winds
“Micro-Siting” to maximize generation at a site
“
Effect of wind speed on production
Same turbine, two different wind regimes:◦ Yampa (8.3 mph)
1,200 kWh/year◦ Sheep Mtn: (18.4 mph)
6,500 kWh/year
US DOE
Costs
Solar Wind
Costs II
Solar Wind
Costs III
Looney and Greenstone, “Paying Too Much for Energy”, Daedalus, 2012
A solar PV system costs $8,000
It will generate 5,000 kWh of free electricity every year
Each kWh currently costs $0.10
How many years will it take to get back the $8,000?
Payback: An Example