whoopy, Solar can provide all of our power needs? Really, the same argument that the solar advocates used against the carbon sourced electrical generation was that fossil fuel was a finite resource. Solar is also a finite resource which is subject to the unpredictable windows of opportunities which takes away the ability to do photon upgrading within the energy sphere at a micro level on a continuous production bases.
The most inefficient use of energy is the application of electricity. Combined cycle Natural Gas generation of electricity has an efficiency approaching 50% which is 66% more efficient that the usual thermal steam generation plants.
Our stored carbon based energy will last to infinity if the reduction in our total energy usage is reduced by the factor of yearly carbon based consumption divided by the total carbon based energy store within the whole earth. Do the maths and this will pop out and be confirmed for you.
The climate change debate is based only on what can presently be measured at this present time. The hole in the argument on climate is the factors that cannot be measured at this present time. The argument is based on the extrapolation of the presently understood measurements and the models cannot take into account any non linear consumption or absorption of energy that may occur in an unpredictable manner.
The impact of the non-measurable factors can be observed but not quantified at this present time.
Everything that man has done up to this present time has had dangerous outcomes for mankind itself. Take lead pipes for example used during the time of the Roman Empire to pipe water around peoples houses back then caused madness and sickness within the wider community back then.
The current technologies used in battery productions uses more exotic materials where we do not necessarily understand the toxicities of these materials and their impact on everybody through the long term exposure to them.
What is happening at present is exchanging one form of toxic environment for another form of toxic environment.
I became involved in the stress relieving of the turbine parts for the QLD Split Yard Creek pump storage peak demand electricity generation plant west of Brisbane. It has worked well since it was commissioned and had a very short response time to the supply needs to either being turned on or off with very short notice.
The problem with solar power generation is that if the sun does not shine on that part of the country where the solar panels are, then they simply cannot provide what is needed to satisfy the needs of the people.
If we want reliability over the cloud cover that undermines the efficiency of the solar panel farms then we most be prepared to duplicate the solar farms over the whole available surface area of the respective countries so that the peak energy demands can be met by the total system design. This requires highly inefficient transmissions infrastructure to convey the power from where it can be generated to when it is needed by the consumer.
Even wind farms have these same limitations in there effectiveness.
Even the hydrogen economy has its limitations with respect to the storage of the hydrogen where better hydrogen storage densities can be achieved by using natural gas, i.e. methane, in the order of 400%.
Perhaps our problem is madness and the only cure of that dilemma is entering into a meaningful relationship with God, i.e. the creator of all things.
Shalom