They like geothermal though, for the simple reason that it’s actually cheaper in the long run. Also solar is nice because you can live off the grid. But otherwise it’s not very popular among conservatives because the cost effectiveness in the long term isn’t quite there. They aren’t motivated by the idea of green energy, it’s a simple cost calculation.
But that’s completely bullshit. Solar and wind are so fantastically cheap that finding a way to deal with the capacity factor isn’t a big deal.
The new geothermal solutions are impressive and should open up a lot more possibilities, but don’t assume they’re being honest about any of it. They’ve advocated for nuclear for decades without actually building new nuclear plants.
I’m talking about point of use. I know a bunch of people who spent a few thousand extra to get geothermal installed and paid it off in a matter of a couple years, and 20 years later they still have cheap, all electric heating and cooling. Solar takes 15 to 20 years last i checked, and then your panels need to be replaced. Wind isn’t even an option.
But yeah that’s really only for point of use energy and is only marginally applicable to scale operations.
Solar panels are warrantied to 25 years to a certain performance level. They still work after that, but tend to have reduced performance.
Geothermal systems have about the same 25 year expected lifetime. A lot will depend on if the owner keeps on top of maintenance or not. Given that most homeowners replace their water heaters in <10 years when it could have lasted 30 with good maintenance practices, it’s fair to say it’ll be closer to 25 years for a geothermal system when it could last 50.
Solar is way less reliable because it’s efficiency depends on outside temperature and on the sun, but it’s more versatile in that it can provide general electricity where geothermal is only good for heating and cooling. It just hasn’t quite broken through to be cost effective enough. People would buy it if it were. I’d like solar and a battery as an emergency backup, but it’s tough to justify.
They like geothermal though, for the simple reason that it’s actually cheaper in the long run. Also solar is nice because you can live off the grid. But otherwise it’s not very popular among conservatives because the cost effectiveness in the long term isn’t quite there. They aren’t motivated by the idea of green energy, it’s a simple cost calculation.
But that’s completely bullshit. Solar and wind are so fantastically cheap that finding a way to deal with the capacity factor isn’t a big deal.
The new geothermal solutions are impressive and should open up a lot more possibilities, but don’t assume they’re being honest about any of it. They’ve advocated for nuclear for decades without actually building new nuclear plants.
I’m talking about point of use. I know a bunch of people who spent a few thousand extra to get geothermal installed and paid it off in a matter of a couple years, and 20 years later they still have cheap, all electric heating and cooling. Solar takes 15 to 20 years last i checked, and then your panels need to be replaced. Wind isn’t even an option.
But yeah that’s really only for point of use energy and is only marginally applicable to scale operations.
Solar panels are warrantied to 25 years to a certain performance level. They still work after that, but tend to have reduced performance.
Geothermal systems have about the same 25 year expected lifetime. A lot will depend on if the owner keeps on top of maintenance or not. Given that most homeowners replace their water heaters in <10 years when it could have lasted 30 with good maintenance practices, it’s fair to say it’ll be closer to 25 years for a geothermal system when it could last 50.
Solar is way less reliable because it’s efficiency depends on outside temperature and on the sun, but it’s more versatile in that it can provide general electricity where geothermal is only good for heating and cooling. It just hasn’t quite broken through to be cost effective enough. People would buy it if it were. I’d like solar and a battery as an emergency backup, but it’s tough to justify.