How green is solar energy?

[cs1234]

Everything

Wow, people could get doctorates for breaking down stuff like that. You would have to factor in where things originate from, how we get them, how we transport them, how long they last on average..

And then do the same thing on a competing energy product to determine how it compares..

Even if you did all that doctoral work, some putz on the internet that did 5 minutes of research would say it's BS and be used as a valid counter opinion for claiming solar is bad vs whatever.

 

[cs1234]

Okay great thanks! If you treat well for example a 70ah deep cycle AGM battery (by "well" I mean mainly never go below 50%, because I don't know other ways to treat them well haha), how long ~ should it last? Several years?

AGM's are different than a babied FLA battery. But yes, people do seem to think 2-3 years out of an AGM is pretty normal if charged and discharged correctly to spec.

 

[chess-equality]

Everything

Like green or the greenest? I think it's the greenest we've got; others might be greener, but inefficient or not as abundant.

 

[Alexander]

Wow, people could get doctorates for breaking down stuff like that. You would have to factor in where things originate from, how we get them, how we transport them, how long they last on average..

And then do the same thing on a competing energy product to determine how it compares..

Even if you did all that doctoral work, some putz on the internet that did 5 minutes of research would say it's BS and be used as a valid counter opinion for claiming solar is bad vs whatever.

Would love to get one in this field haha, because it's really interesting and important. But I am already in an other field. That's a sad truth. Thanks for the explanations!

 

[Alexander]

AGM's are different than a babied FLA battery. But yes, people do seem to think 2-3 years out of an AGM is pretty normal if charged and discharged correctly to spec.

Okay and by these years you mean until it works less good or until it doesn't work at all anymore?

 

[chess-equality]

Would love to get one in this field haha, because it's really interesting and important. But I am already in an other field. That's a sad truth. Thanks for the explanations!

I think there's a million more people (minimum) thinking about it, maybe some already fell into the rabbit hole or took the red pill (blue?).

 

[SparkyJJO]

Maybe I just need a thorium reactor in my back yard.

 

[chess-equality]

Maybe I just need a thorium reactor in my back yard.

Would it be green?

 

[SparkyJJO]

Would it be green?

Sure, I'll buy a few rattle cans.

 

[Alexander]

I think there's a million more people (minimum) thinking about it, maybe some already fell into the rabbit hole or took the red pill (blue?).

Thinking about it yes, but really doing sth about it, searching, studying, colaborating, not so sure

 

[cs1234]

Okay and by these years you mean until it works less good or until it doesn't work at all anymore?

Yes, the answer is Yes.

Honestly, it's hard to say. Unless it has a catastrophic internal cell failure it should continue with reduced performance for a while, maybe years more. Less good from an AGM though could be pretty darn less good compared to an aging LiFePO4. They already drop so much in voltage output under load to begin with, I can only imagine how fun they get with age.

Remember, with lead acids, you MUST keep them charged FULL as often as possible for longest life. That can be hard to do with minimal solar performance. If you starve them, they will die.

 

[chess-equality]

Thinking about it yes, but really doing sth about it, searching, studying, colaborating, not so sure

IMHO, rather than justifying if solar is green / greenest / not, fusion reactor becoming viable is the next best thing?

Maybe I just need a thorium reactor in my back yard.

 

[Alexander]

Yes, the answer is Yes.

Honestly, it's hard to say. Unless it has a catastrophic internal cell failure it should continue with reduced performance for a while, maybe years more. Less good from an AGM though could be pretty darn less good compared to an aging LiFePO4. They already drop so much in voltage output under load to begin with, I can only imagine how fun they get with age.

Remember, with lead acids, you MUST keep them charged FULL as often as possible for longest life. That can be hard to do with minimal solar performance. If you starve them, they will die.

Haha I love how you compare them to children, thanks for the advices! So when for example there is no sun for a long time and they do not charge well, I should charge them with the "normal electricity", so the one which solar panels don't produce. Is there a special charger for that? (To connect from an electronic socket to the battery)

 

[cs1234]

Haha I love how you compare them to children, thanks for the advices! So when for example there is no sun for a long time and they do not charge well, I should charge them with the "normal electricity", so the one which solar panels don't produce. Is there a special charger for that? (To connect from an electronic socket to the battery)

If you are using a single 12v AGM battery, there are plenty of compatible 110vac chargers. Pretty much every battery charger in the last 20 years should have an AGM setting.

But yes, if they aren't getting enough electricity from the sun, you must charge them with electricity from somewhere else.

 

[Alexander]

If you are using a single 12v AGM battery, there are plenty of compatible 110vac chargers. Pretty much every battery charger in the last 20 years should have an AGM setting.

But yes, if they aren't getting enough electricity from the sun, you must charge them with electricity from somewhere else.

Okay so that's what I thought, thank you!

 

[cs1234]

Okay so that's what I thought, thank you!

It can really tough to keep them charged up though. To properly charge a drained lead acid battery will require a fairly long length of time in the absorption charge phase.. possibly an entire day. That can be really hard to do with solar alone, as the sun might not cooperate in your part of the world.. wherever that is.

 

[Alexander]

It can really tough to keep them charged up though. To properly charge a drained lead acid battery will require a fairly long length of time in the absorption charge phase.. possibly an entire day. That can be really hard to do with solar alone, as the sun might not cooperate in your part of the world.. wherever that is.

Switzerland, and yeah clouds here are common, so you are right it will be difficult, sometimes I will have to use an other charger with an other electricity. "absorption charge phase", you mean it will take a lot of time to charge the last 1%?

 

[cs1234]

Switzerland, and yeah clouds here are common, so you are right it will be difficult, sometimes I will have to use an other charger with an other electricity. "absorption charge phase", you mean it will take a lot of time to charge the last 1%?

More like the last 20% or so. It's important that it gets it. You don't want a chronically starved lead acid battery.

 

[Alexander]

More like the last 20% or so. It's important that it gets it. You don't want a chronically starved lead acid battery.

He should have enough food each day, or like each 2days? The more I give him food, the better he will be I guess? So each day very close to 100% is perfect?

 

[cs1234]

He should have enough food each day, or like each 2days? The more I give him food, the better he will be I guess? So each day very close to 100% is perfect?

If you put him away full and leave him be for a few days with no external drain, no problem. If you use him for loads and don't feed him, the problems will start, and he might resent you forever.