Margaret Wente keeps stealing all my best topics;
So who are the winners? The companies that harvest the subsidies. They’re flocking to Ontario like fruit flies to a bowl of overripe peaches. The government is trying to create a feel-good story by showcasing the little guys – such as schools that want to install solar roofs, and native-run wind companies with names such as Mother Earth (despite the fact that little guys are the most inefficient operators of all). But it’s the big guys who are the biggest winners – multinational corporations such as the Korean giant Samsung, with which Mr. McGuinty struck a $7-billion deal, and Brookfield Renewable Power, which plans to generate more power than all the little guys put together.
But wait, there’s more!
The government will pay Mr. Creeggan and other solar producers around 80 cents a kilowatt hour for the power they sell back to the grid. That’s about 15 times more than the current spot price that consumers now pay for power.
This helpful tip for Mr. Creeggan, straight from the SDA Suggestion Box – “…just hook up the AC into the output circuit of the solar panels.”
The logical outcome of the Law of Unintended Consequences is that we will now have Organized Green Crime.
“Hey Tony, we need more extension cords here.”
Yep, why not take an input cost of say 5 cents and resell it for 80 cents. Helluva deal. Liberals, the gift that keeps on giving (er, taking).
I know I am just repeating a line seen here many times.
When will people wake up to the biggest fraud in the last century??
Green Energy = Self Licking Icecream Cone.
Unfortunately it will be hard to remind Ontario voters of the ruinous policies of McGinty when the time comes to turf the liberals. Having lived through the Glen Clark / Ujal Dosanj years in BC, the NDP didn’t fall because of their outrageously stupid economic policies (fast super ferries anyone?), but rather from scandal. Unless something similar arises here I can’t see them being sent packing…
I predict wind farms that can produce electricity in a dead calm.
Maybe now I’ll finally be able to get the patent through on my perpetual motion machine!
And solar panels require more energy to manufacture than they can generate in their useful lifetime. Simple math on the energy to grow semicondictor materials, and the fact you need 15 square feet of panel for 200W of power.
“…just hook up the AC into the output circuit of the solar panels.”
As someone running on solar (I’m totally off grid, though), I can see a couple problems with that.
First, to sell power to the grid you’ll need a grid tie inverter. That will set you back anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000$. And to be legit you’ll need at least a few panels installed.
Second, the ‘AC to solar panel’ connection won’t work. Current flows either in OR out of your house. Never the two at the same time.
There is a solution though. The above will work if you have access to two electric hookups. If you own a detached garage, have the utility install a separate hook-up and meter to it. You may say you need it for welding or something similar. Then you can feed 5-cent power from the garage to your house panel and sell it back at 80 cents. Day and night!
I doubt McGuinty and co. even looked at the failures of green power before making this decision. Well, that is the optimistic view. Otherwise, he is either a total airhead or has ulterior motives for spending taxpayer money on absurd subsidies that can only result in tanking his province’s economy.
The government will pay Mr. Creeggan and other solar producers around 80 cents a kilowatt hour for the power they sell back to the grid. That’s about 15 times more than the current spot price that consumers now pay for power.
My gosh, I’m feeling green today. To who and where can I send my check?
I’m no expert on these matters but why would you fit roofs with solar panels in a country that has winter for five to six months of the year?
Maybe subsidies should be given out to smart people? Maybe…
Posted this on Reader Tips but it worth repeating here.
Kate, this NP article by Parker Gallant, a retired Ontario banker should be on the front page of every Lame Stream Media as it shows the debacle of power generation in Ontario. Our costs are rising as our consumption declines.
McGuinty with his green energy is turning the law of supply and demand upside down.
http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/04/14/priced-out-of-the-market.aspx
Just driven north, to my home from Toronto & passed 2 windmills – neither moving!
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This morning in our local newspaper:
He never dreamed he’d discover that southeastern Ontario has the potential through solar means to produce almost as much power as is produced at every nuclear plant in the United States combined.
“Solar has always been treated as a niche market — good enough for your cabin or cottage out in the woods, but not enough of a power source for every-thing,” Pearce said.
In the first of two studies, Pearce and his team of researchers found that if certain rooftops were covered with solar panels, it could produce five gigawatts of power — roughly 5% of all of Ontario’s current energy.
‘He’ is a Mech.Eng. professor.
That’s just part one.
Part II
A second study looked at land with little to no economic value in the region that could be used for solar farms. Researchers concluded there is potential to produce 90 gigawatts.
“It wasn’t just barren wasteland; it had to be within 2 km of the power grid and was at least 100 acres to make a decent size megawatt farm,” Pearce said.
GreenNeck, you should go into business selling such a set up. Install one 17 watt solar panel and a separate electrical hook-up, charge the customer $10,0000 for the trouble and he/she can sell Hydro One’s power back to them at 80 cents a kilowatt hour.
Woo-hoo! What a money-maker! It IS easy being green after all!
How long before this happens here in Ontario:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/04/13/the-insanity-of-greenery/
Osumashi Kinyobe asks: “I’m no expert on these matters but why would you fit roofs with solar panels in a country that has winter for five to six months of the year?”
That is a very good question. Particularly when you consider that People who live in Phoenix AZ, Sun Valley, who have 360 sunny days every year, do not have solar collectors on their roofs. Not for electricity, not for hot water, not for a pool heater.
The reason they don’t is that even in the blazing, searing, crispifying sun of the Arizona desert, solar doesn’t pay. Can’t be made to pay. Won’t ever pay, not even at $200 a barrel for oil.
Its a stupid, stupid idea except for remote locations where there’s no power, or for spacecraft.
It appears that Dolly McSquinty has even less of a clue than a Grope and Flail columnist and Moonbat George himself.
Are you good citizens of Toronto sure you want to elect as your mayor the same demented Barb Hall-mentored leftist that was responsible for Dolly’s energy policies?
Mutt and Jeff
Mutt: These smart pills you sold me taste like sh*t.
Jeff: See, you are smarter already.
Re: Dave’s post at 3:15 p.m.
There was some discussion about this article on an Ottawa radio call in show this morning.
The only other state/province with higher electric rates than Ontario is…drum roll…California.
Had enough of this nonsense, just sent this to Dalton. Was going to add something about an election not coming soon enough, but I don’t want him to think he should wait.
“I don’t have a lot of time on my hands to write messages as I have to work to pay for all the times your government has it’s hand in my pocket to pay for various scams, scandals, user fees, taxes that aren’t taxes, etc. I don’t understand how even you, as a citizen, can’t feel similarly outraged.
But seriously, Ontario is going to pay someone 80 cents to generate electricity that currently costs a fraction of that? And with the obvious questions: wind turbines when there is no wind, solar panels when there is no sun, the amount of land this will take. Did anyone do a cost/benefit analysis? Or is this just a “feel good” thing? Who do you think is going to end up paying for this?
Just how much more money do you THINK you can get out of me before I’m better off working part-time, divorcing my husband, giving up my pets, or moving to Alberta.”
The Glengarrian
[….Re: Dave’s post at 3:15 p.m.
There was some discussion about this article on an Ottawa radio call in show this morning.
The only other state/province with higher electric rates than Ontario is…drum roll…California.]
Yeah my hydro with all the delivery etc charges works out to about…..0.19-$0.22/kw…..
$0.05/kw is ancient history….real ancient….
I imagine that old-fashioned scam artists must think
that heaven has come. A few solar panels, a diesel
generator, and we’re printing money.
I can’t figure Rat-face Al McGuinty. A rigid,
fanatical doctrinaire person. He should have
remained a Christian – less damage done. But
my God! – he has ruined Ontario.
Seven-Thousand Million Dollars of taxpayers money blown on a fraud! McGuinty should be dangling from the McGallows.
McGuinty is destroying Ontario. Considering all the damage he has done so far, I’m surprised Ontario voters aren’t in the streets rioting. What will it take for those fools to wake up? However, considering how stupid the average Ontario voter is, I wouldn’t be shocked if they voted Dalton THE LIAR McGuinty in for a third term. Ontario is filled to the brim with imbeciles.
An interesting sidebar is what this might mean if this fraudulent practice is widespread:
One of the big issues surrounding both wind and solar is how much of the time they are producing at full capacity. Many critics suspect it is much lower than advertised.
If fraudulent reporting of uptime has been a common practice, the standard efficiency/full capacity estimates commonly in use could be significantly overstated and thus purchases made could have faultly break-even estimates.
Thus the short-term immediate fraud has much longer-term fraudulent impacts.
Sort of like climategate.
Rent-seekers of the world take note: Ontario is open for business! Contact McGuinty, Queen’s Park, Trawna.