The price to pay for self-sufficiency
As with any complex technique, the purchase of a heat pump, wind turbine and solar panel will require a solid initial cost to the owners. The savings will come later. To compare the efficiency of obtaining electricity from any of the existing stand-alone sources and from the central grid is impossible in principle. To understand what this difference is, you can use the example of two owners, one of whom installed an autonomous system in the house, and the other went the way proven over the years. installed a centralized power supply from the network in the cottage. The first will give money when buying a solar panel and wind generator, but after a few years, when the savings from their use will cover the amount of the original costs, will stop spending money on electricity. In contrast, the owner of the house, “powered” by the network, will first pay for the connection and laying of cables, and then continue to pay bills from the power. If the first owner of a country house after about three years (this is the payback period of an autonomous system with a heavy load), the energy will be free, but for the second this moment will never come, and after a year, and three, and ten years, he will also pay for electricity.
To connect the house to the central grid you will need to pay the power company 15,600 for each kilowatt, which at an average of 20 kW of power is about 300,000. In addition, the owner of the cottage will be required to meet the technical conditions, which is reflected in the need to lay a line and pay for their own money to install the transformer. And if you want to build a house where there’s no electricity at all? Then there is no other option but to switch to a self-sufficient supply of electricity and heat from alternative sources.
Chapter 4. Non-traditional electronic designs.
4.1. Soil heating from improvised means. 4.2. Electronic designs for audio and video. Power amplifier from CD changer. Electrical performance. Practical applications. Microprocessor chips for audio-visual amplification. Replacement of the CZN-15E with the XF-18D in a wide variety of designs. Replacement of CZN-15E microphone with XF-18D in tangent NM-Z6. Some electrical characteristics of domestic and foreign microphones. Converter in Tokai PW-2024, PW-404S, PW-5024, LAR-301RM CB transceivers. Practical applications. 4.3. Voltage converter for a portable flashlight. The principle of operation. About details. Other applications. 4.4. “Quick Adapter for GSM-Antenna. Why do I need additional antenna. Making Adapter. Another way to make the adapter. 4.5. Replacing the battery in the ruler (battery). Characteristics of the original ICOM BP-209N battery. Practice replacing elements. How to cheat memory effect. 4.6. Experiments and helpful hints with unconventional power supplies. Invisible light for the New Year. A fluorescent lamp in the form of a simple light-music device. Lighting from a distance or the Jedi’s sword. Unconventional sausage heating. 4.7. Useful things about thyristors.
Wind generators or solar panels, which is better to choose?
Power surges and power outages can be very troublesome for owners of remote country houses or even paralyze the work of a farm located in the isolated area. Buying separate UPSs for the circulating pump, computer, boiler, air conditioner and refrigerator can solve the problem if the electricity is turned on within an hour. The lack of power in the network for a day threatens a global disaster locally. Homeowners willy-nilly consider purchasing a self-contained power source. Diesel or gasoline generator not even worth considering because of the high cost of fuel, the need for constant replenishment and the extreme risk of fire. The choice is between wind or solar power. After having studied the installation requirements, installation and maintenance peculiarities, possible problems and solutions and comparing them with your requirements and local conditions, you can make a final decision about the advisability of using wind or solar energy in each particular case.
Wind turbines or solar panels, which is better to choose?
Today’s article prompted me to write the fact that from time to time stubbornly continues to sound the question: What is better to use as an alternative source of electrical energy, wind turbines, solar panels? I’m sure those who already consider themselves to be “Alternatives” With the experience of a similar issue “is cutting to the ears”.
Indeed, to feel the answer to it should at least a couple of years to gather up the pieces of such coveted watts. And seriously speaking, this is tantamount to the question: What is better to use a hydroelectric power plant or a thermal power plant?? Where there is a river and its flow makes it possible to use hydroelectric power, the choice is obvious, if only because its kilowatt will be cheaper. Well, where there is no river, it remains to put cogeneration plant.
Of course, each option is capable of meeting your objectives under certain specific conditions. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages, which we are forced to consider when choosing one that best meets our needs and plans.
This applies equally to the choice of a wind turbine or solar panel. Where facilities are open to all winds, as they say, to use a wind turbine. But, by and large, this does not preclude the use of solar home power plant.
over, this feature of alternative sources should be used to their advantage. What I mean? Suppose you are going to provide yourself with electricity from an alternative source in an area of systematic and regular winds. The choice of wind turbine or wind turbines (the question of the number, this is a separate issue) for you is obvious. I agree with you and me. BUT!
Be sure to consider the use of solar panels, too. What percentage to distribute the total power between them is a matter of calculation. importantly, it should be considered that if there is seasonality in your area, then there will undoubtedly be periods when the performance of the wind turbine will decrease significantly, but in the same period the performance of the solar panel will increase. Thus excluding the seasonal dip in your entire period of electricity consumption.
The same can be applied to areas with predominant solar radiation. Not to consider the use of a wind turbine at all would be at least unprofitable.
In other words, it is advisable to use a wind generator, solar panels together. In the middle belt of Russia in the summer, the main load is on the solar panels. This is understandable. Longer daylight hours, higher sunshine. In the spring and fall, if you do not take into account the March reflection from the snow, especially in winter, there are no leaves on the trees, the space for the wind is open. This is where the wind turbine becomes the King.
I have always given my preference to solar panels. Silent toilers. Nothing to break, no mechanical rotating parts. However, I would never advise to be limited to solar panels. Admittedly, there may be areas where it makes sense to use only either a wind turbine or solar panels. But this is the exception rather than the rule.
Hybrid power plant solar wind.
The ideal is to install a combined system where wind turbines and solar panels are used as generating capacity. The cost of such a system will be higher, but it allows you to completely abandon the central grid. In such a system, the capacity of solar panels and wind generator can be small, i.e.к. Electricity will be generated virtually around the clock.
It is also possible to organize such a system for the primary heating of water, this will allow more efficient use of energy, and to send the excess to heating, while saving more and gas. Thus, the heating elements of the wind generator heats the indirect heating tank, through which the water flows into the heating system or DHW. It is very important to correctly select all components of the system, so the design should be trusted only to professionals.
Conclusions
Solar panels are cheaper alternative power supply option for most regions. Of course in the extreme north or other extreme weather conditions is worth more thoroughly calculate the options for installing a particular alternative source. Well, the best choice. it is a combined system of wind-solar power plants.
Payback on solar panels, the calculation and timing of the profitability, the feasibility of installation
Calculation of the solar panel and batteries, a set of solar power plant
Wind turbines and autonomous power supply systems on their basis
Why solar panels and wind turbines are unprofitable. Let’s take apart all the nuances
They even cite the following graph of energy costs from various sources [2]:
The cost of electricity generation in different ways
Looking ahead, we can say that any market trader, looking at this graph, would say that trading electricity obtained from thermal coal and gas plants, as well as nuclear power plants is not profitable and who trades in them. go broke.
Nevertheless, for some reason the traders of the cheapest energy receive subsidies, and traders of expensive energy have to pay for these subsidies.
Let’s get into the details of how things work in reality, and where the “dog is in the hole”!
Energy can be measured in different physical units.In physics in Joules (Joules).In the energy industry and in life, historically, in kWh, calories, kilograms and even volume units. liters and barrels.
It would seem to be no big deal. can easily be recalculated.For example, 1 kWh equals 3,600,000 J.
But it’s not that simple. Recalculation depends on what kind of energy is counted!
For example, if you want to heat your house, turning on, for example, an iron and getting 1 kWh will produce the same amount of heat as 73 grams of natural gas [3].
But if we need to do mechanical energy (work), then the calculation changes dramatically.
1 kWh of electricity practically without losses will be transformed into mechanical energy, and the thermal energy needs 2.5 times at large power plants (efficiency factor of 40%) and 3 times at home (gasoline generator, efficiency factor of 33%), that is already about 200 grams of natural gas.
The same difference is observed, for example, in a loaf. If we calculate how many calories are in a loaf, we find that they are much less than the human cost of producing it. And if you also take into account the energy of the sun, which the wheat gets, then in general.
This is a consequence of the fact that it is not just energy, but energy in a certain form that can be consumed by humans. Pay attention to this. This fact will be needed in the future.
There is another difference, but it belongs to the economy, and we will talk about it a little later.
To correctly calculate all of the energy used in manufacturing, we must, roughly speaking, put the energy meter at the plant and see how much oil, gas, coal and electricity the plant used and how many products it manufactured.
Micro Wind Turbines Are They Worth It? (Off Grid Solar)
And here comes the first gap in the calculations.
Energy costs are incurred not only by the final plant, but also by the suppliers of components. Large subcontractors, such as suppliers of basic raw materials, are accounted for, but the “small stuff,” of which there are a lot of no!
If you use a screw, you also need to get the amount of energy used to produce the screw from the supplier and add it to the energy costs for production.
And so on through the whole chain. Beginning with the extraction of ore and other minerals, including hydrocarbons, not for the purpose of energy, but for the purpose of production, some product, such as plastic.
And the authors of the calculations do not bother to count all the “pennies”, at least I have not seen the position “energy costs for the production of screws that are used for assembly” anywhere. And in total, these pennies can contribute as much as they want.
In the same estimates of energy costs that I have seen, the authors do not even try to evaluate the fixed assets (the very machines for production) and the energy used to produce them. But without them it’s impossible to produce. In fact, these are the “disposable” allies from the previous point.
And the energy costs of labor are not taken into account at all.
One can of course argue that expensive human labor will be replaced over time by robots “whose speed is limited only by air resistance” ( Elon Musk), but at least then we must consider the energy needed to produce these robots and the energy they will consume for their work.
And it’s not a fact that it’s more profitable in energy terms than manual labor! Then again, Elon Musk and his tent, where Mexicans assembled Tesla electric cars instead of robots, would not lie!))
- By the energy that a person “leaves” in the factory? And if it is the operator, who only presses the buttons or just the controller, who monitors the instruments?
- By all (or a fraction) of the energy a person gets for their existence? Conventionally speaking, by a day’s ration of loaf?
- By the energy that must be expended to grow and prepare this ration of loafa?
- (see. above about the loaf’s energy)
There are also quite incomprehensible energy items. Some even see them as “parasitic.
For example, a vacation to the sea or a trip to the movies or casinos. Or haircuts for your beloved dog at the dog groomer. Should these energy costs be included in the energy cost of production??
As you can see, there are a lot of questions. Let’s leave them unanswered for now and move on to the next problem, which is exactly related to the last question.
SOLAR vs. WIND Energy: Comparing the TOP RENEWABLES of 2020
Or, if you like, in Marxist terms. surplus value. It would seem that energy has nothing to do with it, when it’s a financial category, even a virtual one, considering that now it’s zeros in electronic accounts?
But profits are ultimately spent to generate energy. in the form of new machines, to expand production, or even a new secretary, with reduced social responsibility.
We can say that at least part of the “parasitic” categories on which profits go can be disregarded. But without these parasitic categories will the entrepreneur build the plant, operate it, and so on? Wouldn’t he then prefer to go to Thailand, live under a palm tree, and eat coconuts and bananas falling on him?? Won’t the world be left without panels and wind turbines??
Yes, history has known cases where people really worked for a loaf of bread and were happy. But we still consider a more or less free market, where both entrepreneurs and workers perform their functions not under external duress, but on the basis of internal incentives, even if this is a “stupid” desire to make money.
- Does not take into account some of the technological processes and components.
- Does not take into account the energy costs of labor.
- The energy costs of motivating entrepreneurs and expanding production are not taken into account.
Some say that although the EROEI methodology is not without flaws, if the same methodology is counted, then relative to each other, different types of generation will occupy the “right” position in terms of the cost of electricity. And RES has an EROEI greater than 1, about 10-15, as noted at the beginning of the article, and their unprofitability is due to the higher EROEI of oil, gas and coal so far.
But as easily available fossil energy will be exhausted, when its EROEI becomes less than EROEI of RES, then economically RES will become profitable, and fossil fuels on the contrary will start to suffer losses. And since it will not be subsidized in any way, the fossil-fuel generation will die and only clean energy from panels and windmills will remain.
- Since the processes have different proportions of unaccounted for process chains and labor (profits can be assumed to be equal), and their “not accounting” will lead to a distorted picture. And may even lead to a rearrangement of their places, in terms of cost.
- Panels and wind turbines are produced using classic generation, on fossil fuels, as in the world only about 4% (5.2% by the failed 2020, when the classic generation was reduced, and RES were not touched as a sacred cow).
As we see, the EROEI method for estimating the profitability of energy production, although methodologically provides a completely correct approach, in a particular implementation has significant fundamental flaws, which can not be corrected in a more or less correct way.
Meanwhile, humanity has long since invented a way to estimate costs, including energy. And its name is. money.
Yes, this method is not without flaws either, especially in today’s financial system. But it automatically takes into account all the energy needs of production, its workers and owners.
But if you use this method within one country and there are no inter-country distortions in exchange rates, you will get very accurate results on the correlation between the return on financial investment / financial investment and EROEI.
Note:Considering that the main production of solar panels is in China, and that the yuan is undervalued in
1.5 times, then the real cost of Chinese panels is up to 1.5 times higher than they cost now for Europe. Since it is clear that not everything in China has domestic Chinese prices.Oil is obtained at world prices, while gas, although cheaper than in Europe, is still imported.Although there is local, cheap Chinese coal.
That is, from this reasoning, it becomes clear that estimating energy efficiency based on financial efficiency is much more correct than trying to calculate energy efficiency, since the latter calculation will have large errors.
But maybe that’s it. General reasoning which has nothing to do with real life? Let’s try this method in practice.
Suppose you are in the U.S. and you have X amount of dollars, for example, a million or a billion. Consider several options for investing this amount.
Investing in an oil or gas field
You are putting yourself into the field. You have the upfront costs of buying a permit from the government, buying/renting land, exploration, field development, and the ongoing costs of producing and transporting the oil. You don’t need to ask for special terms to sell products. You adjust to the market.
️Which is Better Solar Energy or Wind Energy?
The experience of oil companies says that under such conditions they remain in profit, even though they don’t receive any subsidies from the government, but on the contrary, they pay taxes and other deductions.
Alternative. buy fuel for power plants on the market and now it owes you so much wholesale electricity.
At the same time the power plants do not receive any subsidies, but instead pay taxes and deductions to the state for the benefit of renewable energy sources.
Here, it is assumed that you have zero or negligible profit. You don’t produce any oil, coal or gas, but you buy them on the market and convert them into electricity.
And then you get the brilliant idea that it would be nice to increase your capital, using free energy of the sun and wind!
And you use the entire amount of X to buy solar panels in China. It is even possible to barter. You supply them with electric power in the U.S., and they supply you with panels.You bring the panels back to the States and install them.
And then you find that for all the time you will be getting free electricity from the panels, you will get less than if you just bought kWh at the power plants for the entire amount. And, accordingly, you have an energy and financial loss.
Then you run to eco-activists and tell them about the scientific consensus on global warming.
Then you and the eco-activists and the drooling Greta Tumberg go to the government and tell them that you’re saving the planet and that without you the planet would die. it would be flooded by melted glaciers, the CO2 would fry everyone like hell on a frying pan, and all of that.
The government gets scared and you get subsidies of one kind or another. and you get to break even or even earn something.
The type of subsidies can be quite different. The ones I have encountered I will tell you about in a separate article.
I want to give you an example from my own experience with financial EROEI.
We calculated how much it would cost per kWh if we install solar panels at our dacha [4]. If you want to read the detailed calculations. Let’s just take the results now:
This option has a subsidy from the grid (if it is not clear how and why. will be a separate article), but life has a familiar look with getting electricity on demand, not by nature.
As can be seen, in all cases, the cost is more expensive than the one we receive through the network (2.2 rubles/kWh.)
But let’s level out the exchange rate difference with China, where solar panels and batteries are made.
The dollar rate would need to be halved against the ruble. All ruble inside Russia remain unchanged, including electricity.
In this context it does not matter how we can do it, or whether foreign currency reserves will be enough, or what taxes, duties, etc. will be applied.д. will ensure unchanged domestic prices.
Then the cost per kWh becomes 2.4 rubles. It is still expensive for us, but in some regions [5] it is already profitable to install solar panels!
Let us equalize the exchange rate not with China, but with Europe. The Chinese exchange rate is 1.5 times lower than the European currency.
Then the cost per kWh becomes 1.6 rubles. This is already profitable for us!
See how interesting it is. The physical EROEI does not change at all from our manipulation of the exchange rate. And the financial EROEI is changing and that is what makes it possible to find out if it is profitable to use solar panels or not!!
I hope that now, based on general considerations and concrete examples, it is quite clear to you that the current parameters of RES are unprofitable and consume more “dirty” energy in their production than they give out clean energy in their operation. And therefore leave a larger carbon footprint. The production of panels and wind turbines does not help to reduce the rate of heating of the planet, but on the contrary speeds up the process.
P.S.I am not against the development of renewable energy sources. But we need to do research, look for new ways to produce RES economically. And only when these ways are found, begin their widespread and widespread implementation!
The current implementation of wind turbines and panels is the second stupidest after the combustion of electricity for mining various cryptocurrencies.
Calculation of the benefits of wind turbines and solar panels
The share of small businesses together with the medium-sized business in the economic structure is no more than 20%. Green energy can help develop micro-commerce. Minimum payback period of an autonomous enterprise. 1 year. 2 months, the maximum is 2.5 g. Wind turbine and solar plant bring almost the same benefit. It all depends on local weather conditions.
The crisis start of 2020, associated with a drop in oil below 25 barrel and the war on coronavirus became for our resource-based economy a moment of truth: how, given the collapse of the ruble, to get out of this situation at the end of the crisis.
Measures to fight virus infection of the 21st century lead to the shutdown of thousands of enterprises. Not all of them will be able to rebuild their productive capacities when the threat of contamination is gone. Then there is the question of how to employ hundreds of thousands of unemployed people.
The creation of small businesses in the field of domestic tourism services can help to resolve this issue. The easiest way in this direction is to buy a popular franchise. In Russia today the potential of franchising is underestimated, but this business scheme is not suitable for everyone. The requirement to follow standards and instructions limits freedom of maneuver, and the tight control of activities is perceived painfully by many.
Extended opportunities are represented by the work under the Professional Activity Tax scheme, i.e. self-employment.
By the way. According to the newspaper RBC, the share of small and medium business in GDP of the USA is 60%, UK 51%, the Netherlands 63%. In the Russian economy, this figure has been decreasing since 2017 and is about 20%.
Electricity is the main requirement for the operation of a business. If we focus on stationary power grids, it limits the choice of location to the territory of settlements. The way out is to use wind turbines or solar power plants.
Cost of equipment
To install an autonomous household power plant, in addition to solar panels and a generator with paddles will need the following:
You can order a “turnkey” modern power plant using wind or solar energy. Talking about the cost of 1 kW in an autonomous system is incorrect, since the question is the presence or absence of electricity.
The service life of solar panels is longer by about 10 years. Payback to calculate the project will be easier if you have an income generating household plots, to establish which would be impossible in principle without electricity.
Solar panels: advantages and disadvantages
Solar panels produce electricity from the sun’s energy. Consequently, their productivity depends strongly on the region of installation in accordance with the insolation map, the time of day and weather. Power generation will be higher with high efficiency crystalline silicon based panels than with amon silicon based panels (thin film). On the other hand, it is necessary to take into account many factors when choosing equipment in each case.
The benefits of using solar panels:
- Use of a renewable, environmentally friendly energy source;
- Opportunity to have additional income from the sale of electricity generated by the SES at a “green” tariff;
- Reducing the cost of electricity bills for your household or business;
- Reducing dependence on constantly rising tariffs for households and businesses;
- ease of installation and minimal maintenance;
- possibility of autonomous operation without connection to the centralized system. in autonomous SES with batteries provides uninterrupted power to consumers
- Reducing your customer’s dependence on the grid during frequent power outages or rolling blackouts;
- longevity of operation. devices of reliable manufacturers can continue to generate electricity even after 25 years of operation;
- the quick payback of a solar power plant. up to 5 years, depending on its capacity and type;
- After the SES pays for itself, you get electricity for free
- high initial investment in installing an SES;
- the performance of the batteries is directly proportional to the illumination, which in turn depends on the weather, time of day and time of year;
- for the installation of batteries must not be in the shade. usually they are installed on the roofs of houses or on the ground.
