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In Chile, the mining companies in the North use a disproportionate amount of energy. They are located in one of the driest deserts in the world and could easily

In Chile, the mining companies in the North use a disproportionate amount of energy. They are located in one of the driest deserts in the world and could easily supply their power needs from solar with minimal impact. Instead they continually fight to build dams in pristine temperate rain forest in the South.

jfaucett 10y ago
"could easily supply their power needs from solar with minimal impact." I would really like to see some data backing up that claim. I mean this. It would be amazing, if there were a cheap, reliable way to sustain all energy via solar - since the world leaders in solar energy production can only manage around 7% from solar.
taneq 10y ago
So why are they fighting so hard to build hydro dams when they could so easily and cheaply run off solar instead?
- ptaipale 10y ago
  I bet it is because they want to operate mines also when it is dark. I'm interested if millettjon has any other explanations.
  - savanaly 10y ago
    If that were true then solar panels really aren't that cheap. Having to run your mines inefficiently should be counted as a cost when comparing the two. Doesn't mean that solar panels isn't still the best thing, of course, just that his assertion that they're super cheap for the power companies is false.
- millettjon 10y ago
  They are starting to ramp up solar only in the last year or two. Endesa, the main hydro company, recently gave up fighting to construct 5 dams in the south due to persistent opposition over the last several years. Hopefully this will accelerate the solar deployments even more. The main mining company CODELCO is state owned. Endesa and CODELCO basically try to do whatever they feel like unless there is enough grass roots opposition. There is also a huge potential for wind generation in Chile which they are only starting to use.
goodcanadian 10y ago
I would caution that deserts are some of the most sensitive ecosystems in the world. Covering up large areas of a desert with solar panels may be more harmful than you realize. That said, I am a strong solar advocate; I simply believe we should start with the roofs of warehouses. These are huge areas of relatively flat space where the ecological damage has already been done.
- jefurii 10y ago
  > roofs of warehouses And parking lots.
  - mschuster91 10y ago
    Parking lots are dangerous to build over, for two reasons: 1) people cannot drive. The amount of dents or other damage from incompetent drivers done to a concrete-built park house is crazy, I don't want to imagine the damage they'll do to tiny aluminium/steel constructions holding the panels 2) people cannot drive. They underestimate their vehicle height all the time - just google for "can opener bridge". Just a couple days ago a truck driver massively damaged the lighting in a Munich tunnel because he forgot that the excavator on the flatbed was higher than the truck...
    - Xylakant 10y ago
      > They underestimate their vehicle height all the time There's a simple way to fix that: Have a solid steel bar slightly lower than the max clearance at the entrance. People that can't drive will notice there without causing further damage.
      - kbenson 10y ago
        Not to mention multi-level parking lots, which have height restrictions imposed by the structure itself. I'm sure most people wouldn't mind having the top level covered as well.
    - devicenull 10y ago
pjc50 10y ago
I think the power cost breakeven point has only recently been passed for solar vs hydro there. Nonetheless, they do need a 24 hour supply for a lot of operations, especially pumps and lighting.

jfaucett 10y ago

"could easily supply their power needs from solar with minimal impact." I would really like to see some data backing up that claim. I mean this. It would be amazing, if there were a cheap, reliable way to sustain all energy via solar - since the world leaders in solar energy production can only manage around 7% from solar.

taneq 10y ago

So why are they fighting so hard to build hydro dams when they could so easily and cheaply run off solar instead?

ptaipale 10y ago
I bet it is because they want to operate mines also when it is dark. I'm interested if millettjon has any other explanations.
- savanaly 10y ago
  If that were true then solar panels really aren't that cheap. Having to run your mines inefficiently should be counted as a cost when comparing the two. Doesn't mean that solar panels isn't still the best thing, of course, just that his assertion that they're super cheap for the power companies is false.
millettjon 10y ago
They are starting to ramp up solar only in the last year or two. Endesa, the main hydro company, recently gave up fighting to construct 5 dams in the south due to persistent opposition over the last several years. Hopefully this will accelerate the solar deployments even more. The main mining company CODELCO is state owned. Endesa and CODELCO basically try to do whatever they feel like unless there is enough grass roots opposition. There is also a huge potential for wind generation in Chile which they are only starting to use.

goodcanadian 10y ago

I would caution that deserts are some of the most sensitive ecosystems in the world. Covering up large areas of a desert with solar panels may be more harmful than you realize. That said, I am a strong solar advocate; I simply believe we should start with the roofs of warehouses. These are huge areas of relatively flat space where the ecological damage has already been done.

jefurii 10y ago
> roofs of warehouses And parking lots.
- mschuster91 10y ago
  Parking lots are dangerous to build over, for two reasons: 1) people cannot drive. The amount of dents or other damage from incompetent drivers done to a concrete-built park house is crazy, I don't want to imagine the damage they'll do to tiny aluminium/steel constructions holding the panels 2) people cannot drive. They underestimate their vehicle height all the time - just google for "can opener bridge". Just a couple days ago a truck driver massively damaged the lighting in a Munich tunnel because he forgot that the excavator on the flatbed was higher than the truck...
  - Xylakant 10y ago
    > They underestimate their vehicle height all the time There's a simple way to fix that: Have a solid steel bar slightly lower than the max clearance at the entrance. People that can't drive will notice there without causing further damage.
    - kbenson 10y ago
      Not to mention multi-level parking lots, which have height restrictions imposed by the structure itself. I'm sure most people wouldn't mind having the top level covered as well.
  - devicenull 10y ago

pjc50 10y ago

I think the power cost breakeven point has only recently been passed for solar vs hydro there. Nonetheless, they do need a 24 hour supply for a lot of operations, especially pumps and lighting.