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Most workers in solar are needed to install new systems. Once a system is installed it will require only minimal scheduled maintenance for the next 25 years. Af
by jdblair 8y ago
Most workers in solar are needed to install new systems. Once a system is installed it will require only minimal scheduled maintenance for the next 25 years. After installation the system is wealth.
Further, building lots of small generation systems (e.g., rooftop solar) will inherently require more labor than building a few large generation systems (e.g., traditional power plants). One can argue that distributed power generation is a benefit, as it reduces the need for increased distribution capacity.
- joshhart 8y agoCompletely agreed. If we assume the lifetime of a system is ~30 years, then the amount of labor per coal worker is between 2x and 3x, not 79x. I also note they used the terminology "coal worker" which probably does not include all of the people who work in the plants themselves, nor those involved in shipping coal.
- bwanab 8y agoYep. That article was spouting disingenuous nonsense in the best possible interpretation I could read into it.
- ska 8y agoI suspect (but don't know) that you can replace "article" with "site" comfortably there...
- elago 8y agoWhat's wrong with that site? I've been listening to the podcast hosted there, Econtalk, for the last year+. Do they have some bias in the grander scheme of economics? The guests and topics always seem extremely varied, and the host actually asks challenging and interactive questions to the guests.
- ska 8y agoNo idea about the podcast, I'll give a listen though based on your comments. My comment was on reviewing a few of the articles, the sloppiness exhibited in this one was common. I guess it's more a preaching-to-the-converted sort of area than trying to do a good job of presenting arguments. Perhaps I didn't give it a fair shake - I'm definitely not one to enjoy watching people grinding their favorite axes, particularly if they are uncharitable to other viewpoints while simultaneously presenting their own assumptions as canon.
- danmaz74 8y ago> One can argue that distributed power generation is a benefit, as it reduces the need for increased distribution capacity Unfortunately, that's only true if the power is generated at the time when it's needed, which isn't the case with solar. Distributed power storage could help, but in many cases it will never be enough to actually disconnect from the grid.
- chr4004 8y agoPlus, how much does it cost in man-hours to clean up negative external effects of traditional power plants vs solar? Need to include that as well.