Friday, 27 July 2018
New Westminster Urban Solar Garden Scam
The New West Solar Scam
Hard to believe they copied the Nelson Solar garden scam, even Harder to believe, they are selling project number 2!
The first project was just barely operational, they have no data and they are selling the second project.
I suspect they got in under the wire. BC Hydro applied to the BC Utilities commission to no longer
pay for anyones solar power.
New Westminster is a little different. They buy wholesale power from BC Hydro and have their own distribution and electrical department.
The are a little behind the curve but ultimatly the same economics apply.
If you read this link it will help you understand, just replace Nelson Hydro with BC Hydro, its all the same.
You would think New Westminster would know about BC Utilities Commission January decision denying Kelowna their solar project. Reasons, its of no benefit to anyone and it does nothing to reduce GHG's.
A little math for the New Westminster system 1.
50kW Vancouver data suggests long term the will be lucky to make 50,000kWh annually.
I don't know their numbers exactly, I suspect they buy power from BC Hydro for about 4c/kWh.
Therefore annual solar power could be worth .04c/kWh x 50,000kWh = $2,000.
But they are allowing full retail likely 10c/kWh or $5000, so that money can be distributed among those opting in for their warm fuzzy feeling. Not a lot of money but a total loss to everyone. While picking the pockets of every New West hydro customer as they lose the income they otherwise would have earned from selling wholesale clean green BC Hydro water power. Plus adding to the cities carbon footprint. Nothing is cleaner than our waterpower.
How much did the Urban Solar Garden cost, I am not sure, here are some other costs.
The recently denied Kelowna project estimated install costs at $4/watt. The Nelson solar garden ended up at almost $6. That Kimberley SunMine a few years ago was over $6/watt.
Lets presume $4/watt for the Urban solar garden.
50,000w x $4/watt = $200,000 business case borrowed at 3.5% for 25 years (solar panel life expectancy)
is payments of $12,000/yr for 25 years. Plus any and everything that will go wrong.
Therefore that 50,000kWh/yr at $12,000 = 24c/kWh solar power of no value to anyone.
The recently denied Kelowna project estimated power cost was 24c/kWh.
So why would they do this? Solar power isn't green, it adds to the carbon footprint.
Profits are lost from otherwise selling wholesale BC Hydro power, extra costs because solar is credited full retail so that money is distributed to those opting in and all the risk and costs are passed on to all New West electric customers.
Like Nelson's 25 year contract they are contracting to sell the power of a panel to those opting in while everyone is is a loser.
New Westminster? Did you think Nelson knew what they were doing?
Maybe its not to late to cancel project #2. Nothing is cleaner or greener than BC waterpower.
From what information I see see one opts in for $840 for a 25 year contract for the power of a panel paid at full retail by all other New West electric customers.
Everyone loses the income that would otherwise have been earned from buying wholesale BCHydro power and the end result is you increase the cities carbon footprint and the New West electric customers take on all risk and future costs to maintain that feelgood payment to those opting in thinking they are saving the planet when nothing of the sort is occurring.
The SunMine is an Economic Failure
Friday, 6 July 2018
The Great BC Solar SCAM
New Westminster begins their carbon copy of the Nelson Community Solar Garden, obviously Nelson doesn't have a lock on STUPID! You can replace Nelson Hydro with BCHydro, everything is applicable for a waterpower province. I'm livid, I just paid $28 for something worth 14 cents, and have another 24 years to go paying on this 25 year contract!
We now have one year of the solar garden operation and data, here is how it worked out.
After months of promotion, newspaper articles, they came up with the 147 suckers to opt in.
Short of the 150 required by a certain date, what does that matter, nothing about this project is the truth. The project morphed into 248 panels I have another story explaining that.
Nelson hydro has over 10,000 customers. 1.4% moved this project forward. All Nelson hydro customers pockets will now be picked for the next 25 years paying full retail for this feelgood solar power so that money is distributed among the optees.
If I can help the reader understand ONE take away from reading this its understanding the term CAPACITY FACTOR, something the engineers clearly understand. The Nelson Community solar garden CF is 3%. One can only attribute value to it for 3% of its power.
CAPACITY FACTOR - If a power plant makes power 24/7/365 something like the Nelson hydroelectric plant it is said to have a capacity factor of 100% Nelson now has solar panels at the dam with a CF of 3% the posterchild of absurdity and greenwashing politics. Worse, the profits that would be earned by waterpower now are distributed to those who opted in by every Nelson hydro customer paying full retail for this political feelgood power. New Westminster is doing the same thing but offloading that to the BC residents who own BC Hydro,
Would anyone build a hydroplant or any power plant that only made power 3% of the time, all in summer undependably and intermittently? More absurd, Nelson is the only city in western Canada with its own hydroelectric generation! The poster child of absurdity.
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| Even BC HYDRO above allows only 10% CF annually for solar, remove the 97% made in summer when all hydro reservoirs are full you get 3% value for solar!! Gratefully BC Hydro will no longer pay for solar to their grid, you want to waste you own money on solar, go ahead. Balfour has now flushed $208,000 in public money down the greenwashers toilet with solar panels on their public buildings, part of the payback is Nelson Hydro customers paying full retail for this solar power paid for with public money. Will Nelson Hydro go where BC Hydro has now gone, not pay for anyones solar power to the grid!!! Every Balfour resident buys Nelson Hydro electricity, have you noticed your electric bills going up? Part of that in future Nelson hydro paying full retail for your solar power losing the income from otherwise Nelson hydro clean green waterpower profits now going down the river, that otherwise would keep your electric rates down, thank your RDCK experts. Its too late for the Nelson Community solar garden you are already paying full rate for that, thank the mayor. I am not sure this BC Global news video link will still work its from last May, BCH Cancelling Solar Incentives |
The project was presented to the BCUC to be FULLY funded by those opting in, if this were to be true there should be NO loss to any Nelson Hydro ratepayer yet we all pay full retail for this phoney solar power.
This first year the solar garden made 61,000kWh, made by our dam for 2c/kWh = $1220, 97% of that worthless made in summer. This year we paid $28 per panel so that money could be distributed to those opting in, fortunatly they too pay full retail for their warm and fuzzy feeling solar power fantasy.
They should have received 14 cents, real value. CF of 3% x $1220/248 panels = 14c/panel, the project was supposed to be FULLY funded by those opting in, not the rest of us!
Figures don't lie, we have all the data, we had years of it I attempted to speak to city council twice denied by the CAO. I met with the hydro manager, presented that data, also to the consultant, emailed the data to the city hydro manager, engineer, mayor and council. The hydro manager email reply to me "I was wasting their time and my emails would be blocked".
Above is an actual NELSON HYDRO LOAD FORECAST GRAPH Below is my version hopefully it wll help you understand solar power in BC is out of sync with need, can't be stored is essentially worthless. How did the city hydro manager PEng bring city council a business case for this??
The engineering society(APEGBC) has a code of ethics.
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| Months of the Year |
This will help you understand when and how Nelson hydro makes power and why solar panels at the dam are a worthless political feelgood public waste of money.
RED shows when we buy extra power in winter, because our water licence reduces our hydro plant output to 9.1MW. Beginning with spring freshet in April through high water levels into September we make full 16.1MW the same time 97% of annual solar power is earned., we don't need it, can't sell it, can't store it,........ its WORTHLESS!!!!!!!!!!!! Disconnect it, let them steal all the panels, we will all be further ahead with the profits made from selling cleaner greener waterpower reducing the cities carbon footprint not adding to it.
Above is the first years monthly data from the Nelson Community Solar Garden. When you add up the power the solar garden did make from Sept. through March and divide it by the power it could make if it worked 24 hours a day, you get 3%. Who would build a power plant that only works 3% of the time? That is what I mean by CAPACITY FACTOR!!!~ Every grid tied PV solar panel in BC doesn't work 97% of the time during the six months of winter. Would we build Site C if it only worked in the summer around noon, if the sun shone? When will this greenwashing political waste of public money on solar in BC stop? BC Hydro is trying, read on.
Above the annual water flow on the Kootenay River, Orange is water spilling over the dams unused unneccessary we can't use the power, sell it or store it, solar is just more orange down the river at this time, when 97% of annual solar is made.
The above graph 84 years of Kootenay Lake levels, our battery for power as levels drop until spring runoff and the cycle begins again. Every BC hydro reservoir is our battery for winter power!!
Its a simple concept BC is a clean green waterpower province, our reservoirs are our batteries for winter power. When spring runoff begins until fall we can't even store the water, solar power is as worthless as all the excess waterspilling over all the dams.
BC Hydro was recently successful in their application to the BCUC to NO LONGER pay for anyones excess solar power, never mind they were required to pay almost 10c/kWh for it when they make power for about 3c/kWh. New West got in under the wire, grandfathered in their hydro ratepayers are stuck like Nelson hydro ratepayers for the next 25 years paying off the contract for this feelgood solar power political crap.
Vancouver has some ridiculous claim of being totally renewable by about 2030 and solar power is part of that mix.....hellooo Vancouver, please read and comprehend this. I wish solar did work, unfortunatly society is full of experts who know nothing about solar reality in BC spending your and my hard earned money.. I challenge anyone to defend the economics I show.
What does that mean? Sheep this way, No Questions???
Its about education, its too late for Nelson, they still think this is their showcase project everyone else should replicate, many communities are watching us, we are the envy of all.
Its too late for NewWestminster grandfathered in, BC Hydro will still be required to pay them full retail for their solar power, 25 year contracts, just like Nelson. BC Hydro won't be paying anyone else, they see where this was going, they can't afford this political waste.
Nelson Hydro ratepayers are going to pay for the next 24 years, the solar garden won't last that long and will be a technological dinosaur, but everyone will pay for all future costs.
MORE PICTURES FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT? Voting is this fall.
Baaaaa!!! BaaA! The political sheep wasting our money, MP Stetski, Nelson hydro manager Alex Love, church representatives who bought solar panels, mayor Kozak, Co-op representatives who bought solar panels, schools, etc. BaAaaaa~!!
They couldn't even install these properly, the front row shades the back row, 1.4% bought in, everyone pays 100% of all future costs and full retail while losing wholesale waterpower income.
I asked the CAO why they didn't hire someone with expertise in the discipline of the project. The only qualifications I see are a good social connection with city management. (this person had no previous history of anything to do with solar) His reply, we don't have to, she is a familiar face and its a low value project. ( I estimate $1M lost in 25 years, the real cost of money, income from lost clean waterpower sales and all other costs) This year $50,000,--- $20,000 money cost, stolen solar panels, stolen copper, installed security cameras, snowplowing, city police responding to false security camera alerts from flying insects. That familiar face has now landed a full time management position with Nelson Hydro, once an $80,000/yr consultant, now with full benefits, possibly $100,000+/yr? .
Nelson has had 3 public money funded solar projects, above is the skatepark washroom solar project. Pictured the newspaper item, inset 2 engineers and a building technologist, one a past councillor. Notice the solar panels point south into the trees! No sunlight. Its locked at night and winter.
Solar was for lighting and hot water (fortunatly they had hydro backup). I read the meter in a year solar power couldn't have made enough hot water to wash a mouses foot..
THE LIES
Everyone who opts in is guaranteed their money back, yes most of it their own because we all pay full retail for power that should come from cleaner greener waterpower. and those profits.
It will payback in 10 or 15 years.........total BS.
It aligns with the cities Path to 2040 about reducing carbon and GHG's, nothing is cleaner or greener than waterpower, every grid tied publicly funded solar PV panel in BC adds to the provincial carbon.
The contractor on the local coop radio said solar power will reach parity in 7 years........NEVER!
BEWARE OF WOLVES IN SHEEPS CLOTHING
Nelson highlight this as their showcase project, other communities are watching, everyone should
replicate this.........save yourselves from these idiots, get educated quickly! New Westminster unfortunatly has failed their residents too.
This city council received a business case for solar from the highest paid person in the city, our PEng manager of Nelson hydro. I think its time for accountability mayor and council? How about it?
You can read my Blog "Making the Shoe Fit Engineering"
I couldn't stop it here, New West got scammed........whose next?
Figures don't lie, a councilor told me I was an opinion. I retired from possibly the largest single users of solar remote power in BC with over 130 sites where there was no choice.
NEW WESTMINSTER your 50kW solar garden might make enough power for 4 average homes.
BC Hydro stat says the average home uses 11,000kWh/yr. Data lots of it, shows on average your area solar might make 50,000kWh/yr. if everything is perfect. In winter just like Nelson, maybe enough power for ONE house.
You might want to pass this on to Vancouver, they keep saying they want to be all non renewable by something like 2030?, with solar being a big part of that fix..........never going to happen.
I better pass this on to SQUAMISH, they are a solar city, yes nobody knows what they are doing in Squamish either. data I see for their area, the New West system there with less annual sunhours might only make power for 3 homes, maybe 1/2 in winter. I bet they have a local expert.
HELLO Vancouver and Squamish and anyone else in BC thinking solar, NOTHING can compete with clean green BC waterpower made for pennies. Solar panels in BC add to the province's carbon footprint, nothing is cleaner or greener than waterpower. Solar doesn't work when we need it, can't be stored, almost all is made when we are putting on sunscreen at the beach.....what are you people thinking??????
Solar causes otherwise normal intelligent people to lose all their common sense!
Millions of public money spent, Ministry of Education wastes money, 60 Schools now have solar systems, apparently they haven't learned a thing.
Fortunatly Merritt School District gets it
Get educated, check the links below, solar isn't working anywhere, give this to your local
solar experts. Stop the waste of public money on solar in BC.
Ontario Solar Failure
German Solar Failure
Spains Solar Failure
Nevada Solar Failure
Minnesota solar failure
Thursday, 14 December 2017
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.
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| Our solar garden in winter when we could use power, worthless.. |
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| 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???? |
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| 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 |
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| 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? |
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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. |
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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. 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.  |
Wednesday, 5 July 2017
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.
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.
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.
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??????
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| 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!! |
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.
Sunday, 12 March 2017
The Nelson Solar Garden and the Mayor
recommended reading before reading this blog
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.
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| 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.
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| 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
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| 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.
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| A typical graph showing how solar power is made in BC almost all in summer when we can't use it |
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| Not only is solar out of sync seasonally, its out of sync daily, demand peaks are morning and evening, solar peaks midday. |
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| 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!"
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Thursday, 2 March 2017
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.
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| 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.
Monday, 29 August 2016
Statistics are Like Bikinis, what they don't Reveal is more important than What They DO
Interesting to see the City Newsletter publishing some hydro statistics, too bad they weren't comparative. Notice the black is my representation of the percentage of fossil fuel that makes power in each jurisdiction. Clearly this has nothing to do with comparing apples to apples. What we do know is the lowest cost electricity comes from hydro power, the cleanest power. I have no idea what is going on in Ottawa, although they have a power district that buys from Ontario Hydro to resell, Ontario hydro now has the highest power in Canada, they have to pay for all that subsidized solar and wind somehow, google Ontario solar failure and read about it.
Smoke and Mirrors
The latest city newsletter is showing comparison rates for
electricity. Cherry picking what
looks good for themselves.
looks good for themselves.
Nelson is the only city in western Canada with its own hydroelectric generation and distribution making huge profits, why are our electric rates so high? Because they are set by mayor and council, a hidden tax pretending to be an electric bill.
Lets look at Chelan County, Wa. south of us, they have their own power dam
like Nelson. It is organized under state statute as a non profit municipal corporation and functions as a
Board of Commissioners
elected by the customer-owners
who as owners,
receive dividends in the form
of reduced rates.
Their residential
retail rate for electricity just went to 3c/kWh vs our 10c/kWh.
Nelson hydro like Chelan county power is customer owned, are we seeing dividends?
As a municipal electric utility its mandate is to bring its ratepayers the most reliable and cheapest
power..
Who decides our rates?
The mayor, city council and Alex Love
manager of Nelson hydro, the highest paid person in the city.
Its easier to raise electric rates than it is to raise taxes.
I
Lake Country near Kelowna used even less only 1/2 the CPI in their business case for their Eldorado micro hydro project, well engineered, completly transparent, showing a payback in 7 years and making a profit. Power from their city water intake system.
Try to find an engineering report for the Nelson community solar garden, there was one, estimating costs $211,000 with a major error, fantasy data unsupportable by years of known data and it stated
"not all costs are shown"? and its now over $300,000, and hasn't begun. There is an in depth accurate costing for the Greenhouse replacement costing nothing near the solar garden, you can see it starting about page 122 from the city Feb 2016 meeting agenda,, can we see something like this for the solar garden? It doesn't exist. There never was a business case for the solar garden, its all about feel good politics.
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