The Other Side of SPS

> In North America today, the neglect of a generation has left the
> electrical grid in very bad shape. The estimate in August 2003 was 100
> billion to repair it. How would that repair requirements impact SPS.

Not only that, but if everyone relies on the grid for all their power
instead of oil and gas pipelines and truck deliveries, the grid would
need to be greatly expanded.

The grid is one of the biggest weakness I see to SPS systems. About half
my local power cost is for "delivery" cost as opposed to power cost. So,
even if the power was free, I'd still be paying around $0.6/kwh.

TangoMan and I had a long discussion about this, and while he disagrees,
ultimately this is why I think local renewables (especially
photovoltaics) coupled with energy efficiency (including rebuilt homes
with more insulation) will ultimately be cheaper than SPS (remote
renables), because there is no need to pay a third party to maintain a
power grid. In the short term, until batteries get cheaper and PV
prices move to their expected ultimate (1/10 current) prices, local PV
can be supplemented with 10-20% of annual power produced from truck or
pipeline delivered liquid or gaseous fuels (oil, hydrogen, propane,
natural gas, etc.) produced from fossil fuels or centralized plants (SPS
rectenna farms, coal, nuclear, remote solar energy farms in deserts,
etc.) See for example this offgrid home in Toronto:
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/popup/hhtoronto/works.htm

--Paul Fernhout