SD8 has been fooled into thinking the Nelson solar Garden is a Worthwhile project, its pure politics and now its stealing education funds. You should be MAD!! Its one thing to fool the public, who are well meaning putting up their $900 or so ($1500?) thinking they are helping the planet and climate change, but to take education money. This just hurts people. I am not anti-renewable, but this project is nothing but a political feel good stunt wasting money and it has no value for Nelson. So those of you reading this who bought a solar panel, thinking this was a green project, its not, and your $900 ($1500), for your panel, in one year makes the power our dam makes for $5. I keep showing $1500, $900 is because grants are just picking our other pocket, everyone is told this project is paid for by those opting in, its not, we will have to see how much more when its over, but one would think selling the first project of 200 panels would be enough, now they are selling the second solar garden's panels.
Knowing solar like I do, I am trying to educate, solar isn't what we all want it to be.
Knowing solar like I do, I am trying to educate, solar isn't what we all want it to be.
Nelson,- BC's only city with its own hydro dam, our printing press, our money machine, it reduces our taxes by 36% and pays for city services, the only city in western Canada with this jewel. The last city that should even think of spending public money on solar power and they are? Every Nelson hydro customer is paying for this waste and now education dollars are paying!!!
The school board is buying 10 solar panels, cost? around $900 ea. not the real cost, I don't think anyone knows what that will be yet, ($1500)there are hidden costs picking our pockets.
I estimate behind that curtain real panel costs will likely be around $1500 per panel.
Below are the numbers from years of known solar data and I have worked with solar power for decades.
They say this will help them decide if solar has value, we already know from over $50,000 in public grants for solar systems in Nelson, years of data, this has to be done again!
I estimate behind that curtain real panel costs will likely be around $1500 per panel.
Below are the numbers from years of known solar data and I have worked with solar power for decades.
They say this will help them decide if solar has value, we already know from over $50,000 in public grants for solar systems in Nelson, years of data, this has to be done again!
The Nelson area averages about 1000 kWh/kw/yr solar power.
The solar garden project is 50 kW from 200 panels, each panel 250 watts or .25kW.
If any solar power did get to the grid BC Hydro who buys 90% of our excess power pays $.007/kWh. One year of one solar panel power .25 kWh x $.007/kWh = $1.75
Our dam makes clean green water power for 2c/kWh.
1000 kWh/kw/yr of solar panel x .25kW(one panel)x.02c/kWh=$5.
Therefore one school board panel at $900($1500) in a year makes the power our dam makes for $5. And costs us all the profit it would sell for $25.
For a solar panel power to be considered "green" power it must first return all the non renewable energy required to make it, this is Nelson, not Arizona, it can take years.
For a solar panel power to be considered "green" power it must first return all the non renewable energy required to make it, this is Nelson, not Arizona, it can take years.
UPDATE: AT this evenings city budget meeting 2016/02/18 I asked Alex Love manager of Nelson Hydro what makes the solar garden green, his reply "its isn't green, no one said it was green"???? And all this time I thought people were throwing their money at this loser because it was green?? So why would anyone throw away their money at this project when Carmen Proctor says its not about a need for power, what is it?? In one year that 50 kW of solar panels, 10 tons, over a soccer field only makes the same power our dam makes for $700, its a $300,000 project that won't last 20 years? $300,000 at 3% for 20 years is $19,956/yr? From November through February not enough power for one average home's annual power consumption.
Yet Carmen Proctor the city contractor ($70,000) to deliver this program, states more than once
Those buying in are doing their part for the environment by using green energy!!!!!!!!!!!
Nelson Hydro is doing really great work bringing green energy options to Nelson
And a multitude of other media inserts using the word Green.?? Confused?
The only way solar power could be called "green" is if it avoids the burning of some non renewable fuel such as coal in some unknown power plant burning coal. I know of NO such power entering BC midday when solar power is made. This solar garden power is not "GREEN" its the opposite.
Yet Carmen Proctor the city contractor ($70,000) to deliver this program, states more than once
Those buying in are doing their part for the environment by using green energy!!!!!!!!!!!
Nelson Hydro is doing really great work bringing green energy options to Nelson
And a multitude of other media inserts using the word Green.?? Confused?
The only way solar power could be called "green" is if it avoids the burning of some non renewable fuel such as coal in some unknown power plant burning coal. I know of NO such power entering BC midday when solar power is made. This solar garden power is not "GREEN" its the opposite.
If solar power could make its way onto the grid trying to find some coal being burned and save it from being burned that would require all of Nelson Hydro's excess water power to be sold first. Surely no one would pretend solar garden power is greener than our own water spilling over the dam doing nothing.
There are many other variables too complex to include, one would need to know daily and hourly amounts of power sold or purchased etc.
Do you think education dollars should be spent on this project? Nelson has already seen over $50,000 in solar demonstration grants. The high school has had one of these for years, that data isn't useful?
If you think this is a waste of education dollars let the city council know. If you don't know what to think ask them to confirm or deny what I am showing.
Ask them the real total cost per panel I don't think they even know, if not there should be a way to assess those who want to feel green by making them pay for any future unknown costs so we are left out of this.
Who will pay for all future costs, it should not be Nelson hydro customers.
They want you to pay full retail for this solar power, that is a subsidy from everyone who could be buying the cities 2 cent power and bringing the city a profit when its sold for 10 cents.
Every single solar panel hooked into Nelson hydro anywhere is lost income to the city that would have otherwise come from selling cheap green water power. Who gives city council this advice?
Ask them to tell you the real costs, all the costs present and future for this solar garden, its supposed to be funded by those opting in so they can feel green, I am not willing to fund their warm fuzzy feeling.
NO education funds should be spent on this political feel good waste.
Tell them to give the money back to the kids for education, bus trips, supplies, sports not this city councils feel good political points winning green washing. Are you mad?
Let city council know no education dollars should be wasted click here.
If you bought a panel thinking it was going to reduce emissions and be green, ask for your money back.
Ask them why they don't pursue something that will work for our grandchildrens children, at night in winter, rain, snow, dependable real power, microhydro, not solar that only works when we are at the beach and don't need it.
The city water pressure reducing station just installed on Hall street has ready connections for microhydro, it will make power for the next century like our dam, reduce water pressure at the same time, and work at night and winter when we need power, why isn't this being pursued?
The Five Mile city water intake also has a completed engineering study for microhydro showing it would pay for the necessary upgrades and make power for the next century or more like our dam has, why are we wasting money on solar? Could it have anything to do with appearances? Fooling everyone into thinking Nelson is green?
I remain an unwilling participant, as I have always told city council and the hydro manager.
When solar becomes viable we will all know it, no more bleeding the public for this solar fantasy.
UPDATE, I requested a phone call from SD8 persons involved, I only received an email response
"This was approved by administration and trustees."
UPDATE, I attended an SD8 meeting, none of them knew about
part of the media statement regarding their support for the project said it would help administration determine the value of solar power??
I also asked them to request our education dollars back, they have been fooled.
Our dam at full 16MW output makes that year of solar panel power in around one second!
I also asked them to request our education dollars back, they have been fooled.
Our dam at full 16MW output makes that year of solar panel power in around one second!
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