Community Solar Garden Data Censorship

The mayor calls it the cities SHOWCASE project, why hide it? 

 The only city in western Canada with its own hydro electric plant puts solar panels at the dam. and lets cleaner greener waterpower and its profits spill down the river for the mayors green vote.

The Nelson solar garden data is now available on line, click here. 


This tells you daily power earned, who can make heads or tails of that?  I asked them to provide weekly, monthly and lifetime energy.  They say they can't.  BS.  They won't somebody might figure out this is worthless.

There are dozens of public solar projects offering all the data.

Banff for example provides all kinds of data.

Notice above I can click on daily 1D, weekly, monthly , YTD shown- Year To Date
Upper Lifetime 85.4MWh

Solar panels were installed on the roof of Banff Town Hall in August 2013. It's a 18 kW system with 72 panels that generates 17,500 kW hours of electricity each year. 


Let me show you some of what this tells me.

Lifetime 85.4MWh or 85,400kWh since installation Aug. 2013, an 18kW system.

85,400kWh/64mo. =1334kWh/mo avg x 12 mos = 16012kWh/yr.

 presume electricity is valued at Nelson residential retail today 10.36c/kWh x 16000kWh=$1657/yr

Lets use Nelson solar garden installed cost per watt  $5.90/watt

System 18,000kW x $5.90/watt =$106,200 system cost.

Business case borrowed 3.5% for 25 years is $531/mo for 25 years of $6372/yr


Paying $6372/yr to make the equivalent at full retail of $1657 in power, pretty expensive power.

That is why Nelson won't show any meaningful data.

Let s  do the Nelson Community Solar Garden calculations.

They admist to $339,000 install plus security cameras, stolen copper, stolen solar panels and security cameras and other costs all extra.  I suggest $400,000 isn't out of line.

Borrowed over 25 years at 3.5% thats $2000/mo for 25 years or $24,000 annually.

Nelson hydro makes power for 2c/kWh and buys half from Fortis for 4c/kWh, avg 3c/kWh.

Annual solar garden power if made from clean green waterpower  61,000kWh x 3c/kWh =$1830
Selling that for 12c/kWh would get us $7320-$1830 = $5500 profit lost.

Lost profit of $5500/yr + $24,000 system business cost payments/yr = Total cost $30,000.

Plus the solar garden increases our carbon footprint, why did this happen?
The manager of Nelson hydro brought city council a business case.

Our solar garden in winter when we could use power, worthless..

If we could see some of the real data we could see how shading affects panel power output, they won't show us.  Who would install solar panel systems so the front row shades the back????

In 2016 Nelson hydro earned a bonus of $800,000 in power because highwater started earlier and laster longer. (see orange above)  The manager told me it costs 2c/kWh to make power.  That $800,000 equates to 40,000,000 kWh.
Equivalent to 1000 solar gardens at $339,000 ea =$339M or 

The image above shows in orange all the water spilling over the dam unused power from spring runoff through high summer lake levels.  The time when most annual solar power is earned and we can't even use the waterpower.

Here we see excess water flowing over the dam that isn't making power, that would be the orange shown above from April through September.  If we can't even use the cleaner greener waterpower what are we doing spending $500,000 for solar panels at the dam when that power is worthless to us?

This is what should concern us, low winter water levels when we consume the most power and purchase the most excess power .  Solar is worthless.

Not only is solar out of sync with seasons(we need power in winter) its out of sync with daily use that peaks in the morning and evening while solar peaks midday.. It can't be stored solar must be used when its made, we don't need it in BC.

And above is an actual Nelson solar system annual power graph showing almost all power made mid summer and nothing in winter when we need it most.

And after one year its beginning to self destruct, once a perfect straight line  the ground mounting and wooden system is moving, this will become a technological dinosaur and fall apart long before those who are making payments on their 25 year contracts.


Nelson has a 7 km primary water line with two microhydro potentials.  An engineering report says this line installed in 1926 needs replacing, the power made would help pay for it, nothing is being done, we waste money on solar panels.

Could It Be In The Water?

                           

                                                   Has Everyone Lost Their Mind?

Could It Be In the Water?

Has everyone lost their mind? The grand opening of the Nelson Community Solar Garden.

Just look at all the green fools thinking solar panels at the dam would make money and save the planet.

The mayor, engineer, MLA, church group representatives and co-ops that all bought into this greenwashing fantasy.

A feelgood project that was to be fully funded and voluntary, you could buy a 25 year contract for the power of a solar panel, get your warm fuzzy feeling you were helping to save the planet.  The engineer brought city council a business case showing it would payback.  It was'nt fully funded, all hydro customers were paying, they also paid full retail for the power so that money could be distrbuted among those green gerbils who bought a contract to save the planet.  A total fraud.  While water spilled over the dam and down the river with lost profits huge profits, that would have made that power.  The only city with its own money machine a hydro dam and they put solar panels at the dam.  The posterchild of world absurdity greenwashing.

After one winter the ground mount concrete ballasts were shifting from frost heaving and if it 

continues the glass panels won't sustain the pressure as they push against each other and they will explode.
be sure to read my blog entry Making the Shoe Fit Engineering   engineering ethics?  FAIL!

Pic below shows frost heaving distorting mounts and panels beginning to twist and come together.

From November through March when we really could use power, the solar garden doesn't make enough power for one house,  $400,000.

All kinds of deceptive media promotions surrounded this project.

Reduce electricity purchases!  We buy excess water power in winter as necessary and still make a 300% profit while in winter solar makes nothing and never will, solar doesn't reduce anything, it just costs!!

Nothing is cleaner or greener than water power, the solar garden is dirty power, it adds to our carbon footprint.

This is greenwashing at its finest, the only city in western canada with its own money machine, hydro generation making huge profits and they put solar panels at the dam and let water spill down the river with the profits pretending solar will payback??????

There should be a class action lawsuit from all those duped into buying a contract.  Or better yet from all of us other hydro customers who paid for the system and will pay full retail for the power when we were told it was FULLY funded and voluntary and paid for by those opting in;.

The entire year of solar power would be made by our own hydro dam for about $500 and sold for a 1300% profit, instead business case cost of the solar garden payments of $24,000 a year for 25 years.


The hydro engineer manager who brought city council the phony business case  no longer works for the city.  We are all stuck with this dinosaur of garbage paying the remainder of the 25 year contract left and any and all future costs and damages, repairs etc.,  It should be dismantled and they get their money back and we go back to receiving the profits selling cleaner greener waterpower to help reduce everyone's electric bill.  

A testament to the power of greenwashing and utter stupidity.  Never mind engineers ethics.



UPDATE nov 2017,  Copper wire was stolen, solar panels stolen, now they are spending $12,000 for security cameras and the thousands replacing the copper wire and solar panels.  What a horrible trick played on everyone, this phony solar project!

From all the above costs I estimate first years costs at $50,000 for power the cities own hydro plant could make for $500 and sell for a 1300% profit.   The city still tries to spin and re invent and come up with the story this was a great thing.

The Emperor Has No Clothes,  Many here can't see that, or rather won't admit it.

The Nelson Solar Garden and the Mayor

recommended reading before reading this blog

 Making the Shoe Fit Engineering

This blog is written as a reply to Mayor Kozak of Nelson, her latest response to an email I sent "am I trying to tear down nelson hydro",  on the contrary.    This blog is for you mayor Kozak, and city council,  I expect you to run this city as a business, with projects that benefit the entire community not your or anyone else's agenda picking my pocket.  Your solar garden project is one of misinformation, deception and incompetence, and I have continually been pointing this out.





And my latest Blog I believe condenses all my previous blogs

Remarkably the mayor's last council meeting, she was not reelected 2018, they had an award ceremony for the community solar garden.

Left to Right, Alex Love manager of Nelson hydro who brought city council a business case for the Community Solar Garden,  Carmen Proctor hired contractor to deliver and construct the project (no previous solar work), outgoing Mayor Kozak holding award, Trish Dehnert  BC Community Energy

Update  December 2018,  the new mayor and council inherited this boondoggle. Reading between the lines of a new councillor engaging in emails with me,  has swallowed the cool-aid.   Trying to re invent and respin the boondoggle, Nobody will admit to the mistake.  He says it  was all about education and learning.   We already had a system at the high school with years of data, it showed it can't work.  There are many other publicly available systems showing the same thing.  The city can't and won't admit this was a mistake.  They continue to make excuses.   The hydro manager who brought the city council a business case for this no longer works for the city, its a start.

Kootenay Lake levels for past 84 years, high median, low. 
Our province overflows with water when most solar power is made, its worthless.  

BC is a water power province we store millions of acre feet of water in reservoirs and lakes from spring runoff to fall, the same time almost all annual solar power is made.  We don't need solar power then, we need it in winter, it doesn't work..  The Pacific Northwest is flooding, reservoirs overflowing we can't use or need all the water.  This is the time most annual solar power is made its worthless. 

 Another annual graph of Kootenay River water flows, Orange is water spilling beginning in April with spring runoff, we can't use the water, why add solar?

The excess water spills from April through September the same time almost all annual solar power is made, its worthless.

Nelson hydro dam in winter when we could use solar, it doesn't work

Half of BC's clean green waterpower is made within a few miles of Nelson
Power for a million homes.  The Nelson Community Solar Garden from October through March makes enough power for ONE home.  I don't see it on the map :)

Who would install solar panels so the front row shades the back row?  Nelson did.

A typical graph showing how solar power is made in BC almost all in summer when we can't use it

Not only is solar out of sync seasonally, its out of sync daily, demand peaks are morning and evening, solar peaks midday.

Y

Picture taken April 6, 2017 spring runoff has begun, overflowing the dam is millions of kWh of power this will happen through the fall, what good are solar panels?  If we aren't using that power what good are solar panels?

My objection is misconstrued by the mayors top comments, "am I trying to tear down Nelson Hydro?"  On the contrary I am trying to stop the waste I always sign my letters

As always "AN UNWILLING PARTICIPANT!"

The emperor has no clothes

SOLAR FRAUD?

                   Trying to Stop the Bleed of Public Money Into Solar in BC by Education


They city info says the solar garden cost $339,000, they don't include the replacement 6 stolen solar panels, inverters and copper wire.  Then we have the security guards hired for a period of time before the security camera system was installed.  Recent security cameras at the city works yard cost $12,000.

Industry standard suggest there is a business case if a solar project pays back in 25 years.

City council was presented a report by the manager of Nelson hydro showing a business case for the Community Solar Garden.  There never was a business case.

The consulting engineers report for the 200 panel 49.9kW system it would make 61,000kWh/yr.

I provided the consultant and manager of Nelson hydro years of local known solar data showing that exaggerated the known data by 25%.

25% more solar panels somehow were installed, it became a 248 panel 61kW system.  This did make the 61,000kWh that all real data proved.

All the newspaper and media information promoting it was deceptive.  A newspaper article in November 2015 stated the buy in for a panel would not exceed $923.  The system operational until June 2017, 18 months later.   No adjustment in buy in occurred, the system cost went up.

Nov 2015 newspaper, cost will not exceed $923 per panel

Where did that come from?

The engineers report estimated costs at $224,000(stating not all costs are shown?) less the $25,000 from Nelson hydro = $199,000 plus BullFrog Powers $15,000 = $186,000 divided by 200 panels = $920 per panel

The submission to the BCUC for the project said it was to be fully funded by those opting in, that was repeated in the following years BCUC rate review submission, the system still had not begun to be built.

130 opted in with $500 down non refundable.   Did they receive any interest for the 18 months before the system became operational?

You have to read my blog entry

Making the Shoe Fit Engineering

I made a complaint to the APEGBC (Assoc. of Prof. Eng. and Geo. of BC)   they replied there was nothing wrong?

I made two applications to appear before city council regarding this solar project both denied.

I provided the consultant, Mr. Love manager of Nelson hydro and his staff with emails showing local solar data.
One email he replied to me I was wasting their time and he would block my emails.

The contractor was on the radio saying that solar power would reach grid parity in 5 to 7 years.  I emailed the manager for those calculations.   All the media suggested it was a  green project, it was not.

Articles stating payback would occurr in 12 to 15 years, even the consulting engineers report from faulty data entry only showed a 25 year payback possible.(see my link above, Making the Shoe Fit)

The Kimberley SunMine an economic failure

The Solar Scam Continues 

How much power do you think could be made by the water shown in orange that spills over the dam from April through September, the same time almost all annual solar power is made, making the solar power worthless, worse, a waste of money.

Within a mile either way of the Nelson City dam is almost 1000MW of dam power enough for
1,000,000 homes annual power.   7 hydroelectric dams in total, where else in the world could one find this concentration of clean green power?  And you want me to pay for your community solar garden panels that might make enough power for 4 average homes!!  And made when water is spilling over every dam going unused because it can't be sold, every hydro reservoir in the Pacific Northwest is spilling water at this time.

And the plan is for 2 more community solar gardens???  No wonder this city is unaffordable.

If all that power in orange above isn't being used why would anyone instal solar panels?  Demand for power is in winter when water flows are minimal and solar doesn't work.  Beginning in spring runoff every dam and reservoir in the Pacific Northwest is overflowing, you can't give the power away, solar power....worthless.

On the right the City of Nelson hydroelectric plant the first one in BC, left Fortis's Upper Bonnington
and the thousands of cubic feet of water making no power that goes from spring runoff through the end of high summer Kootenay lake levels, when most solar power is made and worthless.  Upstream about 1 km Corra Linn dam  54MW  downstream another kM the Fortis South Slocan Dam, 66MW around the corner BC Hydro Kootenay Canal 586MW.  Nelson solar garden .0000005MW, no power in winter, at night, when it rains, cloudy, useless.  Toxic junk in 20 years while the Nelson dam and others are more than a century old and nothing will stop them.  The Fortis dam on the left has even been shut down in spring runoff, if the power has nowhere to go (customers) it will overheat the generators.
Every solar panel in BC is a waste of money.  One hours spill over just this dam likely would make more power than every solar panel ever installed in BC and any installed for the next ten years.  We need power in winter, solar cannot help us.




Solar power in BC is a testament to the misinformation and power of the solar industry propaganda.  Google "german solar power failure"  or Nevada,  Spain, Ontario....'

The next  big solar industry money train....recycling old dirty solar panels.

As of 2014  an estimated 6 billion tonnes of solar panels have been installed in the world, possible life expectancy 25 years, usually less, a monstrous new business as panels begin to fail.

 Nelson has already seen over $50,000 in public money for solar demonstration systems.

UPDATE May 2018?  The Nelson community solar garden $330,000 they tell us, now Balfour is spending $208,000 for solar panels and expects Nelson hydro to pay them full retail for any excess solar power, why would we?  We don't even need our solar garden power!

How Timely BC HYDRO is no longer willing to pay for anyones' solar power,  political feelgood solar power in this province is not affordable  see story here 

 The last one a LiveSmart BC grant went to a company that went broke took the solar panels, sold them and kept our money.  All the while I was in touch with the Min. of Environment and offices responsible for this grant.  The grant recipeints did not comply with any of the requirements, when I saw them removing the system I called Victoria, they did nothing.

Nelson has more than a decade of solar data, all of which I gave to the cities engineer, he said it was irrelevant.  Using that there would be no business case.  With the swiss computer program and making mistakes there was an apparent 25 year payback(business case) but that report still said  "not all costs are shown".,  There never was a business case.  When I first met with the city engineer he said the project would not proceed without a business case.  "ethics?"

Why am I paying more for power than a BC Hydro customer when our city had the first hydro electric dam in BC?   Because of things like this.