BC Hydro needs a clue

Cariboocoot
Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
Take a look at the picture in this news release.
http://www.bchydro.com/news/conservation/2014/large-scale-solar-power.html

Otherwise it looks like tax dollars will be spent to generate fifteen-cent electric at a cost of sixty cents. I sometimes wonder if these people can do basic math. Then I saw this picture and realized they can't.

Comments

  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    ? Did they change the picture? I just see solar panels and the sun(at a poor angle)?
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue
    Photowhit wrote: »
    ? Did they change the picture? I just see solar panels and the sun(at a poor angle)?

    Poor angle as in the panels pointing in the opposite direction they should be.
    If that's an example of how much they know about solar I'll have another repair job lined up.
  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    If your just saying that grid tied electric cost 60 cents a kwh, I don't think that's true at all, It might cost them the same as or a little more than they can deliver it for, but surely not 60 cents. I think you have very good hydro there, but not likely to be able to draw more from that source.

    Oil is finite, I hope we all look for alternate sources, many of us here are here for that reason, regardless of it being completely cost effective at this point. I like the idea of using a hazardous waste area for such a project, though they company that generously donated the land, likely gave land they couldn't sell for a tax write off...lol.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    You ought to see some of the prices on stuff up here. Our hydro-electric is about the cheapest thing in the whole country. There is no way solar can compete with it. They'd be lucky to get production costs down to $0.60 per kW hour. And remember it won't be producing full-scale all year round either; when the sun goes low in the Winter expect production to drop off drastically. Never mind bad weather interruptions. Solar is a very poor investment at this latitude, as Germany is now finding out.

    In fact we have more room for hydro power, but it keeps getting blocked by environmental concerns. Well the power has to come from somewhere or else its going to get really expensive really quickly. Or else get turned off.
  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    I thought I read 300 sunny days a year, I'm not a fan of trackers, but wintertime tracking should make sense up your way...

    I agree hydro is a great, renewable, long term investment, I thought there was near zero chance to expand in North American, something I read years back...
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
  • bill von novak
    bill von novak Solar Expert Posts: 891 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue
    Poor angle as in the panels pointing in the opposite direction they should be.
    If that's an example of how much they know about solar I'll have another repair job lined up.

    I suspect this is how the conversation went:

    Utility guy: Hey PR guy, do us up some good PR material for this new project.
    PR guy: OK. Hey writer, write us up some copy. Hey photography guy, take a picture or get some stock pictures of a solar installation.
    Photographer: OK here's a few pictures of solar installations.
    PR guy: How about a shot where you can see the sun and the panels? So people understand the two go together.
    Photographer: OK, well, that's going to be a tough shot because of the angles required . . give me a few days.
    (later)
    Photographer: OK, got a picture of this commercial east-facing array. They couldn't face it south so they used two arrays, one pointed . . . .
    PR guy: Whatever. Picture looks good to me.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    Yep.
    But knowing the Crown Corporation's checkered past for quality of projects ...
  • zoneblue
    zoneblue Solar Expert Posts: 1,220 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    Aw... crusty old codger :) That sort of project is the future. One of the key elements- its municality owned. Thats exactly the trend in europe, and a major break from large energy cartels influence.

    Sure the cost is still getting there, but without making a start there will never be the investment needed to bring prices down. To say that we should all just wait til costs come down is silly, if noone is producing gear, who exactly is going to do the r&d? If noone bought 8086 pcs we would not now have quad core i7 pcs. My first computer was 6K. I could have used a cheaper type writer!

    We also have lots of hydro, and i can tell you is not invincable. You get a big drought year, low dam levels and its like a national crisis, too many eggs in one basket. Solar and hydro are as great a companions as youll ever find anywhere.
    1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
    http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar


  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    Cheech: Hey man, I just heard there are a bunch of new jobs comin' up
    Chong: Job? What's that :confused:
    Cheech: Man, those guys in Kimberly, BC, you know those cool Kootenay dudes:cool: that grow that BC Bud;), are going to the sun to 'mine' it, and I bet they need good supervisors. Right up our alley and we could get a quick suntan too. And think about all the s*** we could grow with 24 hr sunlight... no more grow lights eh?
    Chong: Cool dude...:cool:

    :-)
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue
    zoneblue wrote: »
    Aw... crusty old codger :) That sort of project is the future. One of the key elements- its municipality owned. That''s exactly the trend in Europe, and a major break from large energy cartels influence.

    Oh--Big government--That will bring the costs down instead of those private corporations:
    CHP probing whether Bay Bridge critics were muzzled
    Years late and billions over budget, new San Francisco ... (Bay Bridge)
    Delays Persist for US High-Speed Rail
    Hetch Hetchy (San Francisco owned water district--Rates have gone up about 4x in the last 4 years--100 years of infrastructure neglect+new regulations)
    Delays Persist for US High-Speed Rail (trying to get $68,000,000,000 for high speed rail from southern to central California).

    Could "it" be done well... Yes. Will it be done well. No. It will cost too much and be feeding on ever increasing taxes as it slowly dies.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Chris
    Chris Solar Expert Posts: 135 ✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue
    westbranch wrote: »
    Cheech: Hey man, I just heard there are a bunch of new jobs comin' up
    Chong: Job? What's that
    Cheech: Man, those guys in Kimberly, BC, you know those cool Kootenay dudes:cool: that grow that BC Bud;), are going to the sun to 'mine' it, and I bet they need good supervisors. Right up our alley and we could get a quick suntan too. And think about all the s*** we could grow with 24 hr sunlight... no more grow lights eh?
    Chong: Cool dude...:cool:

    :-)

    LMAO......Come on now.....It's Nelson that gives us Kootenay guys a bad rep :-)
  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    No s*** man, wouldn't have believed it...chill out dude....:cool:

    Ya a relative lived there (Nelson) a while back, got offered a drag and he received a querulous look back, followed by 'This IS Nelson'... man' when he said 'I don't do that stuff,....Oh,ya, anymore'...
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
  • CDN_VT
    CDN_VT Solar Expert Posts: 492 ✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    WB , Too Funny !!

    BC is the most expensive province to live in with the most Fee's , Enviro levy's & add on charges . Recycling and enviro charges on distilled water !! Give me a break ..
    Fat Cats , BC Place Roof, Skytrain overruns .. And Now another!! BC Ferries bought three new LNG power boats from Poland without infrastructure setup to fuel them here , because the main US investor dropped out ,, China just sign a deal with Russia for LNG ..

    This power project as with the 1 billion for smart meters , Kitmat hydro not supplying Grid power to BC hydro & purposely keeping the frequency out of sync of 60hz has made the New dams that BC hydro want a VERY expensive future for BC folks . Tiered rates & TOU will bring rates into the 15 cents/KWh Plus I'M sure they will cock up some new charge..
    Im paying 32.50 / month ( I was meter read every two months last year) just to have my house a NON microwave transmitter , It's not the meter that has the antenna , it's the house wiring !.

    VT
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue
    Photowhit wrote: »
    ? Did they change the picture? I just see solar panels and the sun(at a poor angle)?

    In the article, they (PV's) are on trackers. They just aren't tracking (like most trackers, they are broken).
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    westbranch,
    loved that, but your age is showing.;) to show my age, i still have a few of their albums.:D

    part of the problem is that most governments and populations do not consider big hydro as renewable. stupid, i know.
  • zoneblue
    zoneblue Solar Expert Posts: 1,220 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue
    BB. wrote: »
    Oh--Big government--That will bring the costs down instead of those private corporations:
    -Bill

    I didnt say big governement, i said small government... theres a difference!

    A key forerunner to modern subrubia was the garden city movement in the UK around 1900. These small citys generated all their power and light, ran their schools, hospitals, pretty much everything via a community funded municality scale organisations.
    1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
    http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar


  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue
    zoneblue wrote: »
    I didnt say big governement, i said small government... theres a difference!

    A key forerunner to modern subrubia was the garden city movement in the UK around 1900. These small citys generated all their power and light, ran their schools, hospitals, pretty much everything via a community funded municality scale organisations.

    This isn't the UK, and it's not 1900.
  • CDN_VT
    CDN_VT Solar Expert Posts: 492 ✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    Well coot , It almost is , because BC Hydro is a Cash cow for the Victoria crowd.
    What other thing / business is in BC ? An outgoing port , Incoming is plagued with strikes most have left and found more reliable services. Feds make sure Outgoing is grains YVR & OIL, Prince Rupert (yes been this way for 10+ years) no disruption so their looked after. This new dream of LNG but buying 3 new ships from Poland is the NDP & the fat cats all over. NO jobs in the 250 Area Code

    You do know that the new Hydro dams have the transmission towers in place to feed Alberta to process the TAR SANDS !! Time to view the MAP of BC & see it's the size of USA west coast ! Then see where they are putting the "New" dams were paying for ! Ex BC Hydro IBEW Dude from 1974-86,, Ballard IBEW after .

    This solar dream also has existing transmission lines feeding ?? Yur a sparky , You'll see the direction of flow !

    CBC Rex Murphy last weekend had this discussion & house prices. many spoke of why folks are leaving BC & tourist are shocked at the prices, leave to a more reasonable digest .

    So 1900's & UK is just around the corner !!
    1956 house I owned / bought in 1970 cost me 12,230.00 (norgate NV ) just sold for 850 thousand !! 3 bdr rancher on slab. Something is terribly WRONG.



    VT
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: BC Hydro needs a clue

    Yep, and without going further down the mucky political road we know what it is.

    Gosh I wish I could get some of my tax dollars' worth of services.