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Most of the article is behind a paywall, so I couldn't find out: More efficient solar panels have been made since, but has the price of electricity dropped so m
by deogeo 7y ago
Most of the article is behind a paywall, so I couldn't find out: More efficient solar panels have been made since, but has the price of electricity dropped so much that this plant is now not economically viable?
- Arnt 7y agoThe plant requires more upkeep than most solar plants. It sounds strange that a staff of "dozens" would make it unprofitable, though — most coal/oil/gas plants employ dozens of people and pay for their fuel.
- deogeo 7y agoBut it's not competing directly with solar plants, but only with the price it's able to sell electricity at. That there are some new solar plants being built that are more efficient is irrelevant, at least until there are so many of them they push down the price of electricity.
- woodandsteel 7y ago> at least until there are so many of them they push down the price of electricity. Which will happen long, long before the capital cost of this plant could be paid off.
- Arnt 7y agoWhich ought to mean that the company that owns the plant goes bankrupt, the plant itself is sold by the receivers, and the new owner runs the plant profitably... IFF its operating cost is low enough, which ought to be those dozens of staff and the materials they need.
- olliej 7y agoCustom parts for maintenance (because it's an early design), more maintenance (because more moving parts), and apparently more people? Coupled with the increase in PV efficiency, and decrease in PV price, mean for utilities its cheaper to bring up a new modern plant than maintain the old plant that they apparently don't have liability for.