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Colorado has land to spare. That quote might even be based on zero-cost land.

sandworm101 8y ago
Then these prices are somewhat artificial. Even if you get the land for free, there are significant operating costs. Maintaining solar panels out in a field is very different than on the roof of a factory. In a place like Colorado (not a Nevada desert) you first have to cut down all the trees/bushes, which isn't a great image for green energy. Then someone has to keep the vegetation from growing back. Theft of panels does happen. So you need security guards. The costs aren't extreme, but at the quoted prices they are significant.
- greedo 8y ago
  You can put it on grazing land and let the animals keep the vegetation under control.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- sverige 8y ago
  Land is far from zero cost in Colorado. Assuming these solar farms would go on the eastern plains rather than in the even less productive (but more expensive) land in the mountains, it is true that much of that land can support only sparse grazing or sometimes wheat, since it is semi-arid (but not desert as in the Great Basin).
  - zrobotics 8y ago
    Have you spent much time around Grand Junction? There's much more to western CO than just mountains. And the grazing land isn't terribly valuable. I don't know the CO specific figures, but the statewide average in Wyoming is 40 acres/1 head cattle, and western CO has a similar climate. Honestly, WY would be a better place for this, but the state government has its head way too far up the coal industries rear for that to get much traction.
- jartelt 8y ago
  You are more likely to just need a fence with barbed wire and not active security guards. Theft of panels from utility scale solar installations is unlikely to impact cost much at all. Vegetation growth is a modest issue. Fortunately, the panels shade much of the ground, which reduces vegetation growth under the panels. Yes, you may need to mow every now and then, but the panels absorb most of the sun, which means the grass under them doesn't grow as much. As far as trees and bushes go, most solar installation are placed in open areas that either naturally don't have trees or have already been cleared of trees. People are mostly installing on converted empty lots or old agricultural land. Plus, if you cut down trees, you can always "offset" by planting new trees elsewhere. Ongoing maintenance on the panels is pretty low. Assuming you install in a place that receives rain every now and then, you may not even need to clean the panels of dust. Mother nature can sometimes clean the dust off on its own.
- philipkglass 8y ago
  To put some numbers on it, at the end of 2016, average US utility-scale PV O&M costs were $18,000 per megawatt-AC per year (and still falling rapidly): https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2017/09/berkeley-labs-2016-utility-scale-solar-report-finds-solar-pv-increasingly-competitive/ https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2017/09/berkeley-labs-... Average capacity factor for utility scale solar PV is 27% in the US: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_6_07_b https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.ph... That would put O&M costs at 18000 / (24 * 365 * 0.27) = $7.60 per megawatt hour, out of a total price quoted by epistasis of $30-$32 per megawatt hour. O&M could be up to 25% of total costs. It is indeed, a significant part of total costs. It is also a smaller fraction of total costs dedicated to O&M than wind or fossil power (including fuel in O&M).
- TYPE_FASTER 8y ago
  The eastern plains of Colorado are a pretty good place for solar I think. No trees, not much vegetation, lots and lots and lots of space that's not being used for anything today.
  - zrobotics 8y ago
    Not being used for anything? What, exactly, do you think agriculture looks like?
- mikestew 8y ago
  In a place like Colorado (not a Nevada desert) you first have to cut down all the trees/bushes Without numbers in front of me, I'd guess that most of Colorado is not trees and mountains. Plains on one side, desert on the other. Plenty of room to put up panels and not remove a single tree.

Then these prices are somewhat artificial. Even if you get the land for free, there are significant operating costs. Maintaining solar panels out in a field is very different than on the roof of a factory. In a place like Colorado (not a Nevada desert) you first have to cut down all the trees/bushes, which isn't a great image for green energy. Then someone has to keep the vegetation from growing back. Theft of panels does happen. So you need security guards. The costs aren't extreme, but at the quoted prices they are significant.

greedo 8y ago
You can put it on grazing land and let the animals keep the vegetation under control.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
sverige 8y ago
Land is far from zero cost in Colorado. Assuming these solar farms would go on the eastern plains rather than in the even less productive (but more expensive) land in the mountains, it is true that much of that land can support only sparse grazing or sometimes wheat, since it is semi-arid (but not desert as in the Great Basin).
- zrobotics 8y ago
  Have you spent much time around Grand Junction? There's much more to western CO than just mountains. And the grazing land isn't terribly valuable. I don't know the CO specific figures, but the statewide average in Wyoming is 40 acres/1 head cattle, and western CO has a similar climate. Honestly, WY would be a better place for this, but the state government has its head way too far up the coal industries rear for that to get much traction.
jartelt 8y ago
You are more likely to just need a fence with barbed wire and not active security guards. Theft of panels from utility scale solar installations is unlikely to impact cost much at all. Vegetation growth is a modest issue. Fortunately, the panels shade much of the ground, which reduces vegetation growth under the panels. Yes, you may need to mow every now and then, but the panels absorb most of the sun, which means the grass under them doesn't grow as much. As far as trees and bushes go, most solar installation are placed in open areas that either naturally don't have trees or have already been cleared of trees. People are mostly installing on converted empty lots or old agricultural land. Plus, if you cut down trees, you can always "offset" by planting new trees elsewhere. Ongoing maintenance on the panels is pretty low. Assuming you install in a place that receives rain every now and then, you may not even need to clean the panels of dust. Mother nature can sometimes clean the dust off on its own.
philipkglass 8y ago
To put some numbers on it, at the end of 2016, average US utility-scale PV O&M costs were $18,000 per megawatt-AC per year (and still falling rapidly): https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2017/09/berkeley-labs-2016-utility-scale-solar-report-finds-solar-pv-increasingly-competitive/ https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2017/09/berkeley-labs-... Average capacity factor for utility scale solar PV is 27% in the US: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_6_07_b https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.ph... That would put O&M costs at 18000 / (24 * 365 * 0.27) = $7.60 per megawatt hour, out of a total price quoted by epistasis of $30-$32 per megawatt hour. O&M could be up to 25% of total costs. It is indeed, a significant part of total costs. It is also a smaller fraction of total costs dedicated to O&M than wind or fossil power (including fuel in O&M).
TYPE_FASTER 8y ago
The eastern plains of Colorado are a pretty good place for solar I think. No trees, not much vegetation, lots and lots and lots of space that's not being used for anything today.
- zrobotics 8y ago
  Not being used for anything? What, exactly, do you think agriculture looks like?
mikestew 8y ago
In a place like Colorado (not a Nevada desert) you first have to cut down all the trees/bushes Without numbers in front of me, I'd guess that most of Colorado is not trees and mountains. Plains on one side, desert on the other. Plenty of room to put up panels and not remove a single tree.