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These arguments have been circular forever. There’s likely not enough materials for solar everywhere, or enough space for wind everywhere, but investing on all
by nomoreplease 5y ago
These arguments have been circular forever. There’s likely not enough materials for solar everywhere, or enough space for wind everywhere, but investing on all forms today is more valuable than continuing to argue
- bryanlarsen 5y agoWhat material are we going to run out of for solar? Silicon (sand) is the main ingredient. Running out of space for wind? Huh? Yes obviously we use the best places first but the entire Earth has wind, and almost every land usage can be co sited with wind towers.
- nomoreplease 5y agoMore talking about solar+battery, and rare earth metals for battery. Wind can operate day/night
- bryanlarsen 5y agoMost grid batteries are LiFePO4 which don't use rare earths. Lithium, Iron and Phosphorus are super abundant.
- adrianN 5y agoSolar panels are mostly sand. If you somehow run out of some of the trace elements in PV panels you can always build mirrors for solar-thermal. That has the added benefit that it produces power at night, but the drawback that it costs a bit more than PV.