This is a very cool fact!?

Question

ok get this, i was watching the history channel the renewable energy episode and it said that if we put solar panels in only 10% of nevadas land that it could power the whole united states!! i was like omg why dont they do it! im sure the initial cost would be huge but it would be so worth it, we wouldnt have to pay for energy.... tell me what u think

Answer 1

I know stuff like that always sounds great but its a little more complicated than that.

Answer 2

I am all for it since I love using our environment without harming it, but think of all the electric companies that have government ties and loan money to them, do you think the government would risk cutting off their money supply? That is the same reason we do not have oxygen-fueled vehicles, even though they are available and beneficial to our environment.

Answer 3

i am all for it. i am green. thats a great idea. but i dont understand y they dont do it tho

Answer 4

I think its great! But people are all about money, not the environment.  its sooooooo sad.  Mabey we should wait until we have a president thats a democrat.

Answer 5

My husband works in the "green energy" sector, on wind turbines.  

I'm always frustrated by the partial information some of those shows give people.

Solar energy CURRENTLY costs 7 times more than wind power to produce.  The cost should go down, as there are more inovations.

Here is the most frustrating thing that the "average joe" does not understand about power however.....our infrastructure is too old to handle it.

There have been more and more homes and businesses built.  More and more need for energy use by the average homeowner and business.  Yet the infrastructure has not been updated, so no matter how much power is generated, there is only so much that can travel down the power lines, and to substations....they simply cannot handle more.

I know of several commercial wind farms which are not allowed to run at capacity.  They can only run at 60% maximum.  That means if they have 100 turbines, and a good strong wind, they have to lock down the blades on 40 of those turbines.  If they didn't, they would blow up the substations (fires) and could cause power lines to overheat.

Money MUST be spent on more substations, and more powerlines, before an idea like putting 10% of Nevada in solar panels.  

The updates needed to the infrustracture will cost billions, upon billions.  Of course no matter where our power is coming from, we would still have to pay for it.  Employees must be paid, along with repairs, and continuous updates to the infrastructure.  

Thus far we the people have failed misserably in maintaining the infrastructure.  People don't have a clue what a rude awakening they are in for.

By the way, Neveda is the 7th largest state in the U.S.  To cover 10% of Nevada in solar panels, you are talking about covering 11,056.7 square miles with JUST  the solar panels.    I don't think it actually sounds reasonable, when you start to figure out that you need to cover over eleven thousand square miles with just the solar panels....not to mention the roads to access all of these panels, plus the substations, plus the workers buildings, plus all the housing these workers are going to need...including schools, grocery stores, churches, hospitals, ect, all of this kind of massive solar power plant would need.

Frankly, I'm not sure there is enough water in Nevada to suport all of the needs of these people, even if they didn't have lawns...just drinking, and bathing water!

One other thing....all of the U.S.'s energy source from one area?  I wonder how many well placed bombs a terrorist would have to place to virtually shut down the U.S.?

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 6

i think that there are certine people think you should be killed for thinking that way. and solar panels don't work. but there is a better way that would work. and you would get better than 10%

Answer 7

It would be amazing. A revolution. But sadly, there are to many power-hungry companies out there who won't give a ****  about the envronment, as long as they get paid...

Answer 8

Yeah, I saw that show too. The same thing could be done with wind turbines, but alas, it is true, the oil industry and energy companies have WAY too much control.

Answer 9

I personally know people working on this. It takes a lot of investors and since big oil companies won't get behind it, it takes time to find those investors. But it's in the pipeline. (no oil pun intended)