Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
I think your focus on "nameplate" is misleading. It's like bragging about your 400 HP engine...
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They are the ones doing the misleading by selling us on nameplate capacity versus cost. The best solar farms in the world are doing 30%. And the US wind average is 25% of nameplate. So next time the solar panel salesman gives you a quote for a home installation, or you read in the news how solar or wind is cheaper than coal, better chop that by 80% depending on where you live to find out what you are really going to get out of it. And also keep in mind that these systems have no storage so if wind gains more than a few percent in the local grid, it must be carefully balanced by throttling a rapid form of generation to balance and smooth it. Minute by minute.