Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by chess_buster 1007 days ago
We're replacing coal, nuclear and fossil gas with solar, wind, and storage (in form of compressed air, batteries, and power2gas).

Once this has been completed, we're free from buying coal, uranium (Russia? Niger?), or gas and stop emitting large amounts of C02 due to the burning of fossil fuels.
1 comments
inglor_cz 1007 days ago
"Once this has been completed"

Especially the "storage" part is really far in the future, certainly not by 2030 or so.

Also, you are becoming dependent on countries like China for solar panels and other non-free or semi-free countries for rare earths, lithium etc. The sun may shine for free, but no one escapes a thorough entanglement in global trade networks nowadays.

link
RetroTechie 1007 days ago
> Also, you are becoming dependent on countries like China for solar panels and other non-free or semi-free countries for rare earths, lithium etc.

Bought a 115Wp rated solar panel earlier this year, made in China.

For the foreseeable future (years, or 20y+ rated lifespan of such a panel), I can generate power from that panel without making ANY additional purchases.

At the end of that lifespan, market conditions will be very, very different from today.

How does that "make me dependent on China, etc"?

Any renewable installed = long-term, independent power generating capacity obtained. Regardless where initial materials came from.

Dependency is hitting gas station every day & not being able to move car when oil company fails to supply gas station. Long term investments like solar panels don't work like that.

link