Spain's Solar-Power Collapse Dims Subsidy Model.

[NNadir]

In 2008, Spain's solar PV market was reportedly more than 15 billion Euros.

In the same year, Spain produced http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/iedindex3.cfm?tid=2&pid=36&aid=12&cid=r3,&syid=2004&eyid=2008&unit=BKWH">2.367 billion kilowatt-hours of solar electricity, less than 1% of its electricity, 0.8% to be exact.

(One can find all about Spain's energy profile at the above link, including the fact that Spain produced more electricity using dangerous fossil fuels ("conventional thermal") than ever before.

This solar "investment" works out to an expenditure equal, if, um one can do division, of 6.33 euros/kwh or, (at the exchange rate at the time of this writing, of 1.31 Euros/dollar) to $8.30/kwh. For comparison purposes, the electricity rates in Massachusetts (which are inordinately high and are about to get higher now that Cape Wind has "negotiated" a wholesale price that is bigger than the retail price) of http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profiles/rhode_island.html">$0.16/kwh.

(If you can't take food out of the mouthes of poor people out of money to subsidize oblivious rich guys selling expensive whirlygigs, what are you living for?)

Party's over, at least in Spain.

http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB125193815050081615.html">Spain's Solar-Power Collapse Dims Subsidy Model

It's also over in Germany, but that's another story.

Text from the article on Spain:

Spain's hopes of becoming a world leader in solar power have collapsed since the Spanish government slammed the brakes on generous subsidies.

The sudden change has rippled across the global solar industry, in a warning of the problems that government-supported renewable-energy programs can encounter.

In 2008, Spain accounted for half the world's new solar-power installations in terms of wattage, thanks to government subsidies to promote clean energy. But late last year, as the global economic crisis worsened, the government dramatically scaled back those subsidies and capped the amount of subsidized solar power that could be installed.

Factories world-wide that had ramped up production of solar-power components found that demand for solar panels was plummeting, leaving a glut in supply and pushing prices down. Job cuts followed.

"The solar industry in 2009 has been undermined by collapse in demand due to the decision by Spain," says Henning Wicht, a solar-power analyst at research group iSuppli.

Spain is providing important lessons for the U.S., where lawmakers are engaged in a debate about how to support renewable energy. Boosters of clean energy, including President Barack Obama, have pointed to Spain as a success story showing how government policies jump-started renewable energy, created new industries, and helped the environment...

...Solar power "was a financial product, not an energy solution," says Ignacio Sánchez Galán, chairman of Iberdrola, the world's biggest renewable-energy company. Iberdrola has largely shunned solar because wind power is cheaper and requires less land.

That's especially true of the new wave of large-scale solar power, known as solar thermal power, which uses the sun to heat water into steam which runs turbines. That technology offers the potential for much bigger clean-energy projects than silicon-coated photovoltaic panels, and has attracted interest from utilities in Spain and the U.S., especially. But solar thermal power is far from being cost-competitive with traditional power sources, and it requires large swathes of empty land, such as those found in parts of Spain and the U.S. Southwest.

Faced with the unraveling world economy and a deepening budget deficit, the Spanish government late last year reduced the money it paid for solar electricity and capped the amount of subsidized solar power installed each year at 500 megawatts. Spain's solar-power capacity has actually shrunk this year as a result...

...Solar makers such as Norway's Renewable Energy Corp., China's LDK Solar Co. and JA Solar Holdings Co. posted big second-quarter losses. German giant Q-Cells posted a first-half net loss of €697 million and plans to cut about 500 workers, about a fifth of its work force.

[hughee99]

1. I wonder if they would have been able to generate more energy

by paying their unemployed (those who are capable) a living wage to pedal a bike for a few hours a day to generate electricity. That way, the money will provide jobs, green power, and help keep people healthy reducing health care costs.

[Nihil]

3. Meanwhile, in the real world ...

I don't mean to be harsh to you hughee99 but there is a serious element
of "scale" involved here.

There was an excellent programme on a while back about bicycle power for
electricity generation that probably gives you the best heads up for this.

One of the UK "popular science" programmes ("Bang Goes the Theory") set up
an experiment to use pedal power to generate all of the electricity being
used by a family on a "normal" Sunday.

If it is rebroadcast on any of your channels, it is worth watching - if only to
illustrate how much power was being wasted by carelessness (e.g., putting the
oven on to warm up for *ages* before using it to cook).

It's no longer available on iPlayer but there is a 3 minute snippet of it on
YouTube which really should be seen - it shows the impact of the Dad wanting
a shower ... all 8.5kW of power shower needs a lot of pedalling!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C93cL_zDVIM

[Festivito]

2. A 500% jump in 2008. Did that continue?

The article seems to have a hidden agenda to poo-poo green energy.

[txlibdem]

4. Quoting a Wall Street Journal hit piece against solar power

I guess you know where to go for right wing talking points.

Good job.

[jpak]

6. ding ding ding

yup

[Nederland]

8. ding ding ding?

Funny how you are more than happy to quote the Wall Street Journal when it agrees with you:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x255330

[Dead_Parrot]

9. ding ding ding. nt

[Dogmudgeon]

10. Ding Dong

On the very same day, too.

And here, I had been thinking that NNadir, jpak, bananas, and kristopher had all gone on vacation together. Maybe to a month-long Outward Bound or Shamanic Sweat Lodge bonding experience, or Nuclear Encounter at Big Sur.

Alas, I seem to have been wrong. I should have guessed better -- Newage isn't NNadir's style at all.

:evilgrin:

--d!

[jpak]

7. If anyone is truly interested in the REAL world of photovoltaics visit Solarbuzz.com

http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/Corporate.asp

The REAL world is very different than the one portrayed in this thread - which is nothing more than GOP-enabling anti-renewable energy nonsense.

yup

[The Croquist]

5. Nice to see that you are still trying to make friends.

You know there is such a thing as being a gracious winner.

[guardian]

11. post only 4 paragraphs

not DU OK.

Our friend jpak reminded me of DU posting rules recently. hmmmmmmmmm I notice he didn't mention it here. I wonder why?