Lack of solar in hot countries
Discussion
I’ve just got back from my holiday in Tenerife and was surprised how little renewable energy sources there appeared to be on the island. It gets a great deal of sun, there are masses of patches of effective desert to mount panels on, and I don’t suppose the island has any sources of non-renewables. What gives? Yet down the road from my home in the rural midlands, there are acres of prime arable farm land covered with eyesore solar farms. In the winter output from these must be minimal. Does the UK gov offer a massive grant for these things, that the Spanish can’t compete with?
Maybe the ambient temperature in Tenerife is too high for inexpensive solar panels to work efficiently?
I’m told that only panels with a very low temperature coefficient work well under such conditions of high ambient ( unlike the UK ) and those panels are relatively expensive compared to what we can get away with in this country.
I was also told that roof mounted panels are subject to a far higher ambient temperatures than ground mounted arrays.
Of course this might all be nonsense as it was told to me by a company who has put in PP for an enormous solar power station ( ‘solar farm’ is far too bucolic sounding ) in our normally cool, cloudy locality 😀.
I’m told that only panels with a very low temperature coefficient work well under such conditions of high ambient ( unlike the UK ) and those panels are relatively expensive compared to what we can get away with in this country.
I was also told that roof mounted panels are subject to a far higher ambient temperatures than ground mounted arrays.
Of course this might all be nonsense as it was told to me by a company who has put in PP for an enormous solar power station ( ‘solar farm’ is far too bucolic sounding ) in our normally cool, cloudy locality 😀.
Island nations have a low (relatively speaking) level of electricity consumption. Only a few will generate electricity locally with most of the smaller islands getting their electricity from the nearest mainland where solar and wind will (or may) form part of the package of generation means. Electricity has always been generally very expensive so is used sparingly. The vast majority of cooking is done with gas and water heating done using roof tanks and / or solar piping.
This plus the cost of the panels, doesn't really make the economics stack up.
It's changing though. There's a few projects looking at the subject being part funded by some of the car-hire firms. EVs are ideal for small islands but the energy infrastructure and supply isn't there to support a full-scale switch.
This plus the cost of the panels, doesn't really make the economics stack up.
It's changing though. There's a few projects looking at the subject being part funded by some of the car-hire firms. EVs are ideal for small islands but the energy infrastructure and supply isn't there to support a full-scale switch.
Edited by StevieBee on Friday 19th August 18:44
StevieBee said:
Island nations have a low (relatively speaking) level of electricity consumption. Only a few will generate electricity locally with most of the smaller islands getting their electricity from the nearest mainland where solar and wind will (or may) form part of the package of generation means. Electricity has always been generally very expensive so is used sparingly
According to the taxi driver when we were chatting on the way back to the airport in Tenerife he reckoned the electricity was pretty cheap. (Quite a lot of windmills there and it's quite breezy.) But the price of water was expensive as it came through a desalination plant.
StevieBee said:
There's a few projects looking at the subject being part funded by some of the car-hire firms. EVs are ideal for small islands but the energy infrastructure and supply isn't there to support a full-scale switch.
If the islands can import gas then they can import petrol.But if car hire firms are subsidising things it might explain why a small car costs over £600pw to hire.
Simpo Two said:
StevieBee said:
There's a few projects looking at the subject being part funded by some of the car-hire firms. EVs are ideal for small islands but the energy infrastructure and supply isn't there to support a full-scale switch.
If the islands can import gas then they can import petrol.But if car hire firms are subsidising things it might explain why a small car costs over £600pw to hire.
Caddyshack said:
I was told there is a massive shortage of cars hence the high prices. Was in Ireland recently and the owner of the hire company had 500,000 euros to spend on new cars and was struggling to buy any.
That's right. On dispatches this week they said hire firms dumped their cars in the pandemic and now can't buy replacements. They tried to hire a Focus in reading for a day and it was over £100!. Although a quick search has them for around £70.Simpo Two said:
StevieBee said:
There's a few projects looking at the subject being part funded by some of the car-hire firms. EVs are ideal for small islands but the energy infrastructure and supply isn't there to support a full-scale switch.
If the islands can import gas then they can import petrol.But if car hire firms are subsidising things it might explain why a small car costs over £600pw to hire.
They're not subsiding anything. They're part of a group of bodies investing in developing green energy infrastructure. Cruise companies as well, investing in energy from waste, recycling, methane capture and similar.
It's a good example of why the self-serving nature of capitalism is better able to drive the green economy - certainly in places like Island Nations. Without intervention, the continued rise of the cost of non-sustainable energy will ultimately render the cost of holidays in these places unaffordable and thus jeopardise those business.
StevieBee said:
They're not subsiding anything. They're part of a group of bodies investing in developing green energy infrastructure. Cruise companies as well, investing in energy from waste, recycling, methane capture and similar.
There are very thin lines between 'investing', 'subsidising' and 'spending'. If the investment doesn't pay back you have simply spent and subsidised.I think there is a high chance that if the energy crisis really hits the fan, the green house of cards will come tumbling down. 'Eco' is luxury of the rich.
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