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Page added on January 4, 2015
Could the World Be 100 Percent Solar?
What is the global potential of solar energy? –
Perhaps the only thing more unrealistic than the idea of a modern world powered 100 percent on solar energy is the idea that extracting every last bit of fossil energy is sustainable, good for the long-term economy or a habitable planet.
Building a new energy economy is fraught with many challenges. Many of them are technical – but these challenges can be overcome. With each passing year solar energy gets cheaper. more efficient and more widespread. perhaps the most difficult challenge to overcome is not technical, but envisioning a new world.
I can’t say if a modern, energy-intensive society could run 100 percent on solar (it doesn’t have to anyway, other forms of renewable energy are available and growing as well).
What I can say is that a continued and accelerating reliance on fossil fuels and the determination to extract every last bit of it from the earth to power that world is how we can make 100 percent sure that one day it will end forever.
The following infographic outlines some key facts and figures about solar energy vs. fossil fuel.
11 Comments on "Could the World Be 100 Percent Solar?"
ghung on Sun, 4th Jan 2015 10:40 am
Link to source article and infographic:
http://globalwarmingisreal.com/2015/01/02/global-potential-of-solar-energy-infographic/
BTW: with the exception of geothermal, the world is already 100% solar powered, most of it in real time. Humans just got impatient.
Apneaman on Sun, 4th Jan 2015 11:21 am
Infinite energy growth? Do The Math.
Using physics and estimation to assess energy, growth, options—by Tom Murphy
Exponential Economist Meets Finite Physicist
http://physics.ucsd.edu/do-the-math/2012/04/economist-meets-physicist/
Kenz300 on Sun, 4th Jan 2015 11:22 am
The transition to safer, cleaner and cheaper alternative energy sources continues.
Utility-scale Solar Has Another Record Year in 2014
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/12/utility-scale-solar-has-another-record-year-in-2014
—————–
Dizzying Renewable Energy Price Declines Can Help States Meet Ambitious Carbon Targets Under The EPA’s Clean Power Plan
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/12/dizzying-renewable-energy-price-declines-can-help-states-meet-ambitious-carbon-targets-under-the-epas-clean-power-plan
J-Gav on Sun, 4th Jan 2015 2:20 pm
Well, the info-graphic fails to convince any more than the spiel. It isn’t that solar won’t make significant strides – it almost certainly will, but that is hardly likely to fill the gap left by the demise of fossil fuels. When? Nobody knows but I’d say 10-30 years should do the trick. That’s less than a generation. Maybe another reason KSA is hoarding its FF stocks?
J-Gav on Sun, 4th Jan 2015 5:02 pm
I realize I should have been more explicit on that last point. It must seem counter-intuitive to talk about KSA ‘hoarding’ resources at a moment in time when they refuse to cut production.
Could it be that they are looking beyond the present to a day when, if enough competition is eliminated in the interim, they will be able to “rule the roost”‘ as it were? THEN they will cut production and the price will soar. Does that not make sense?
Makati1 on Sun, 4th Jan 2015 5:44 pm
Solar electric is just another techie dream … destined to die along with the abundance of hydrocarbon energy sources.
Speculawyer on Sun, 4th Jan 2015 7:01 pm
Yes, we COULD be 100% solar if we really wanted to do that.
But that would be a really stupid idea. Bad engineering. Much better to use a wide diversity of sources. Solar PV, offshore wind, geothermal, hydropower, onshore wind, concentrated solar power, pumped-hydro storage, compressed air storage, biomass, nuclear, etc. And then a little bit of natural gas as needed.
Makati1 . . . why do you say it is a dream? Perhaps it is a dream to “Can’t do” people like you. For me & Ghung, we generate all our net electricity with solar PV in reality. You should try it, it is quite satisfying. (Actually, I just generate my net electricity, Ghung generates all his electricity with solar PV.)
Harquebus on Sun, 4th Jan 2015 9:31 pm
@Kenz300.
Whereabouts are you from?
Makati1 on Sun, 4th Jan 2015 9:40 pm
Spec, it is dream to all but those who live in the world. You are one in ~7,100,000,000 people. And even your system will only last until the weakest link gives out. In less than that time, the whole complex system that makes the production of any “alternate” energy or tech possible, will be long gone.
I too plan to have a solar electric system at our farm next year and it too will be only temporary as it will fail in less than 20 years, with no replacements possible by then.
Only someone who has not grasped the complexity that makes things like solar panels possible, could believe like you do. I am more of a “can do” than you are for sure, as I understand the complexity of the system I live in. You obviously do not.
howmuchforyourwings on Sun, 4th Jan 2015 9:49 pm
Speculawyer,Makati1 knows just like I do and many others do that all the alternative energy sources are just an artifact of the petroleum age. When all the oil is gone, none of the powers sources are viable. Many of those power sources require rare earth metals and exotic materials that depend entirely upon the use of petroleum for mining, transportation, lubrication, and fabrication. Without petroleum, none of your alternative energy sources are possible. Period.
Kenz300 on Mon, 5th Jan 2015 7:57 am
Climate Change is real…… no matter what the right wing RepubliCONs and Faux Noise say……
The sooner we transition away from fossil fuels the better….. for us and the planet……
—————–
Pope Francis’s edict on climate change will anger deniers and US churches | World news | The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/27/pope-francis-edict-climate-change-us-rightwing