Hi,
RE has pressed electricity prices here in Sweden, where I live. We are in the process of phasing out four of our nuclear power plants because electricity prices are so low. We need to reach profitability at 1.9 eurocent / kWh in a few years.
When RE is cheeper that fossile it will replace fossile. But RE is also troublesame, the sun is not always shining and the wind is not aways blowing.
Hi Erik,
The sun is always shining somewhere, particularly in desert areas. High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission lines have a very low energy loss across thousands of kilometres, and it would be technically possible to provide 20 or 30 times the current energy requirements of the entire world from solar power alone, by building large solar farms in deserts and arid regions which are currently not used for any useful purpose, and by encouraging the installation of solar panels on the millions of building roofs around the world which also represent free space which is not being used.
Those of us who have witnessed the amazing improvement in the efficiency of digital cameras during the past 20 years or so, together with a very significant drop in price, should not be surprised to see a similar trend applying to Photo Voltaic Panels.
At a fundamental level, the average prosperity of the whole of mankind is inextricably linked to the cost of energy and the ways in which we use that energy. If we were to continue to rely upon fossil fuels for most of our energy needs into the future, there would eventually come a period of total, world-wide economic collapse, when the world population is perhaps around 10 or 12 billion, and India and Africa have greatly increased their prosperity.
The 1930's depression would be mild in comparison, so it's fortunate we are already preparing ourselves to be able to avoid such an event, even though the main motivation, which is a scare about the future effects of increased CO2 levels, might be unfounded.
Happy New Year to everyone.