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By Jo Nova
About 90% of solar panels installed in Germany come from China, and earlier this year one of the last solar panel manufacturers closed in Germany. Last week, what was left of the industry begged for mercy (and subsidies) which they didn’t get. Now another German solar panel manufacturer has closed down.
For some cruel reason German factories which are close to their customers, can’t compete with distant foreign factories which have access to slave labor, fossil fueled shipping and cheap coal fired electricity?
The bigger question, seemingly, is how did the country that invented the printing press, diesel engines, and the theory-of-relativity get fooled by such a stupid ploy? Someone told them they could save the world with unreliable energy, so they converted their generators to unreliable ones, only to discover that they can’t afford to use unreliable generators to make the unreliable generators they need to keep saving the world?
The only government stupider than Germany is the one that has already seen how badly this worked out and announces they’re going to do the same thing. Australia is not only ten years too late, but China has flooded the market to the point where people are using solar panels as garden fences, and we have our own glut of solar power at midday.
The last hope of the German solar industry was a government mandated “bonus” for people who bought German solar panels.
April 23rd:
German solar industry warns “last chance” for sector’s renaissance could be missed
Carsten Körnig, head of solar power lobby group BSW, …added that the solar industry was disappointed by the decision to leave out a “resilience bonus” for installations made in Europe. Given the stiff competition between producers in the U.S. and Asia for securing a share of the market in solar panel production, Körnig said including the bonus in the package would allow Germany to achieve greater supply security for the important future technology, adding that it is “perhaps the last chance for a renaissance of Germany’s solar industry”.
April 30:
Solarwatt becomes second solar PV producer to halt production in Germany in 2024
Carolina Kyllmann CleanEnergyWire
Solar panel manufacturer Solarwatt is set to halt production of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in its factory in Dresden, business daily Handelsblatt reported. “Under the current circumstances, running a production facility here in Germany is extremely difficult economically, and we cannot justify this,” Solarwatt head Detlef Neuhaus told the newspaper. The plant with an annual production capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) will close “for the time being” at the end of August, with 190 jobs directly affected by the shutdown.
China generates 60% of its electricity with coal, while Germany uses 32% coal, and 30% solar-and-wind power. What should Germany do, bring back coal, or get some slaves?
Solar panels are now in the “top five” worst slave industries in the world, yet still barely any of the morality-police care. They’re apparently too busy atoning for slavery they didn’t cause that doesn’t exist anymore to worry about slaves that are alive today.
You don’t have to look far from Germany. The Netherlands are going to compete with Germany in solar panels and windturbines. The German energy transition was declared bankrupt by the German federal accounting office. The Dutch government is even trying to surpass that with our own crazy energy transition. No lessons learned from our German neighbours. Same useless red/green ideology though.
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Meanwhile in the Communist state of Australia, billions of taxpayer money will be used to establish a solar panel manufactring facility on the site of a former coal-fired power station at a time when much of Australia already has too many solar panels that produced more electrity than needd at noon on a sunny day sending the wholesale price of electricity into negative territory.
https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2024/04/mark-knight-is-brilliant-on-the-bowenalbanese-circus-act.html
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This will be another white elephant just as bad as Snowy 2.0
Australia has an overpriced workforce. How do they think they can possibly compete with OS manufacturing in China?
As you said, without taxpayer subsidies this facility would not get off the ground. More importantly, without ongoing subsidies the facility will go bankrupt.
We have some of the dumbest politicians and advisors in the world.
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Add ‘most expensive electricity’ to ‘overpriced workforce’ with a side order of union interference, and stir. Financial disaster awaits…….
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To which I say, ‘Schadenfreude, Solar industry’…
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Unglaublich ,even.
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Riskant, even.
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The whole country sent on a Himmelfahrtskommando.
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Alternative energy* failed for the National Socialists, so why are the modern Left trying to repeat the same mistakes and with much the same arguments(?
But for the modern Left, alternative energy is not really a mistake, but part of the planned destruction of Western Civilisation to the great benefit of the Chicomms and socialist Elites with totalitarian tendencies.
* http://en.friends-against-wind.org/realities/how-renewables-and-the-global-warming-industry-are-literally-hitler
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Also see:
Green Tyranny – Exposing the Totalitarian Roots of the Climate Industrial Complex
By: Rupert Darwall
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Politicians shouldn’t be allowed to make scientific or engineering decisions (at least, they are mostly also incompetent to make any other decision as well with only one handful of exceptions).
Here is Australia’s Chief Engineer and PM explaining how you can use solar panels at night to charge your EV for free.
https://youtu.be/vyS9uqRLbB8
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Would politicians then just ‘pay’ for the scientific and engineering opinions from scientists/engineers that sell their opinions for $$$ instead of giving over real unbiased empirical data and logical conclusions?
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There is no evidence that politicians do that anyway.
The truth is not hard to find. Politicians could even read this website and learn the truth without having to pay anyone for opinions.
However, I think typical politicians lack the cognitive ability to digest truth, logic and facts. It’s a serious problem.
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Germany faces a “Double Duck Curve” with respect to solar panels.
One is the daily one when in summer on a clear sunny day large when large amounts of solar energy is produced.
The other is a seasonal one when in winter very little solar is produced even on clear days.
Solar energy maybe cheap at certain points in time, however the cost per kWh tends towards infinity as the Sun sets or when overcast weather roles in.
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I’m afraid Carolina Kyllmann has no idea what she is writing about. A panel factory producing 300 MW? Really?
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All more or less equivalent:
In terms of power: “an annual production capacity of 300 MW”
In terms of product: “an annual production capacity of 1.5 million 200 W panels”
In terms of area: “an annual production capacity of 30 Ha of solar panels”
Or in mass, or value, etc.
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I notice you too figured it out. But wouldn’t your expect that to read in those or similar terms in the newspaper article? That was the point I was making.
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“How did the country that invented the …..” ? Simples, they caught the “English” disease,. …. and it’s a GENERATIONAL thing. from a SCottish POV. and we’ve caught it too! Unfortunately. ONly good the green l ot have done here is to bring down the SNP for meantime. Dunno what our neighbour, Kate, will be doing. THe Highlander nearly ALWAYS likes to blow about one of our own in High Places, when away from home, otherwise, …. it’s like Germany now. Don’t get me wrong, we have SOME folk who do try things like this German lot – who at least have a TV program dedicated to their efforts.
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At least Scotland does have some Hydro Electric Power. Could have more with some saner Guv’ment policies.
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Wind Energy will be Gemany’s Saviour?
MUNICH, Nov 15,2023 (Reuters) – Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE), may exit some markets and products of its struggling wind turbine business, it said on Wednesday, in a bid to return Siemens Gamesa to profit after it triggered the group’s 4.6-billion euro ($5.0-billion) annual net loss.
Siemens Energy on Tuesday secured a 12-billion euro credit line from private banks that was partly backstopped by the German government, removing a major concern for investors that feared the group could lose out on business without the funds.
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Good find:
“secured a 12-billion euro credit line from private banks that was partly backstopped by the German government”.
Only Partly!
In the future we could look back on this Renewables scam and feel humiliated by others who were smart enough to destroy the West without firing a shot.
Weirdly, some have “profited” financially but destroyed the nation that their families will inhabit.
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What an extraordinary, condensed and “on target” post!
All of this could have been avoided by proper engineering evaluation.
No engineer in their right mind would endorse Renewables as either a cost effective way of providing electricity or an ethical, environmentally appropriate process.
It has always been underhanded and untouchable in the extreme.
Now we have the Big Cleanup; a bit like raising the Titanic.
Step one: to see and define the problem..
Step two: get the sledge hammer out.
Thank you Jo.
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No engineer in their right mind … A Generational thing then. Cat’s out of the bag. Learn by Dwugz and Soshul Meedya. Hey Man, datz Kool …. IMHO.
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“Unable to make solar panels from solar power.”
Hmm …
so, how long do ya’ think before they notice the problem?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_yHJahgF6E
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And yet I’d rate that puppy as much smarter and certainly less evil than the typical politician or warmist.
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David,
Perhaps we should smack them (politicians and climate change nutters) on the nose with a rolled up newspaper . More useful than reading them….
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We should all send the link (to this item) to BOBowen [email protected] cc Dr Jim Chalmers [email protected]
No point sending it to Albo the arsonist he’s too busy putting out fires
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Let’s break down these statements:
That is referring to securing access to subsidies both for direct manufacturers and to consumers who receive subsidised panels.
“Important future technology”…. Well it’s only important for the purpose of destroying Western Civilisation. A viable electricity suppply needs coal, gas or nuclear power plants or hydro where available (not SH2 which is an energy consumer).
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“Well it’s only important for the purpose of destroying Western Civilisatio”
And, Mission Accomplished.
The ultimate insult to all western taxpayers, aka subsidisers, is the monumental erection that is the wind turbine.
Even the blades can be over one hundred metres in length.
If you tried to design an electricity machine that was dysfunctional, environmentally intrusive, costly in the extreme, completely unrecyclable you could not go past the Wind Turdbine; it’s the ultimate insult.
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I need to keep reading wonderful dissident websites like Jo’s to keep sane. We know that the policies our governments are following on energy are suicidal but vainly try to convince others. I fear that when we do, it may be too late to save our economies. It just feels like an repeat of much of the 1920s.
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It’s a terrifying prospect that Australia’s disinformation/eSafety Commissar, WEF Apparatchik Julie Inman Grant might one day target Jo’s site for supposed “disinformation”*.
In this short video clip The Commissar talks about how free speech needs “recalibration”.
https://youtube.com/shorts/h96g176WnqY
* The Left classify any facts that aren’t in accord with the Official Narrative as “disinformation”.
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And The Commissar was appointed by the fake conservative Liberal Party, who also wrote the disinformation bill. Don’t imagine that they believe in freedom of speech or thought.
Only vote for conservative-oriented parties like:
United Australia Party
Libertarian Party
One Nation
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Incidentally, the taxpayer was hit for $40,000 for the cost of The Commissar’s last trip to the WEF.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/40000-of-taxpayers-money-spent-on-online-content-moderators-trip-to-wef-5634275
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Albonoccio, accomplished liar that he is, even labelled the video of Mar Mari Emmanuel as ‘disinformation’, even though it was clearly NOT faked, and there were hundreds of witnesses. It didn’t accord with their mealy-mouthed appeasement of a certain religion , so had to be censored.
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it should be obvious to all how the e-Safety Commissar got her job!
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Meanwhile our BO Bowen idiot has announced that the new wind farms off the East Gippsland coast has 32 times the number of bidders of megawatts he had asked for this project.
Of course I’m sure the Whales will really enjoy these TOXIC disasters, SARC. This is supposed to ruin 15,000 sq klms of the ocean and wreck that environment forever.
Here’s the link and dismal BS from their excited ABC this morning. But I suppose a wind capacity factor of about 30% for 15 to 20 years is a B O Bowen success story? And even more TOXIC, UNRELIABLE disasters to come.
Lets hope the dead whales are worth it.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/six-bidders-win-feasibility-licences-for-australias-first-offshore-wind-farm-zone-off-gippsland/ar-AA1nWhLc
“In the speech, obtained in advance by the ABC, Mr Bowen will say the market response to the development of Australia’s first offshore wind zone was “huge” and “massively oversubscribed”.
A total of 37 applications were received for the 15,000 square kilometre zone off Gippsland, in Victoria’s east”.
“We wanted 600 megawatts of new dispatchable capacity. We received bids for 19,000 megawatts — 32 times more than what we asked for,” Mr Bowen will say.
“AEMO [Australian Energy Market Operator] Services has shortlisted projects in what is clearly a very competitive environment.”
“The government said it also intended to grant a further six licences to Iberdrola Australia OW 2 (for its Aurora Green wind farm), Greater Gippsland 2 OWP Project (Gippsland Dawn), Navigator North Project, Ørsted Offshore Australia 1 (Gippsland 02), Kent Offshore Wind, and Great Eastern Offshore Wind Farm Project Co”.
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“We wanted 600 megawatts of new dispatchable capacity.”
BOBowen has a different definition of ‘dispatchable’ than most others.
As well as sending him the news in Jo’s article, as suggested by others, perhaps also send him a dictionary
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And a brain.
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It’s Newspeak. A deliberate strategy to change the language so that opposition becomes impossible. So, for example, if “dispatchable” is redefined so that wind turbines provide dispatchable energy, it becomes impossible to oppose wind turbines on the ground that they do not produce dispatchable energy.
It’s all in George Orwell’s 1984.
Anthony Albanese’s Australia is a sick, sick place.
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Solar can’t power the solar industry, green hydrogen can’t power the green-hydrogen industry, but coal is easily able to power the coal industry.
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Along with all the frills of modern life as a bonus.
I did the analysis a while ago that the entire global output would need to be directed at energy production in order to sustain present level of energy output using wind/solar/batteries. And it would only go on until the coal ran out to make the stuff.
China is keeping the illusion alive as the developed countries destroy their manufacturing. Supreme excellence in warfare consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.
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Blackrock’s Larry Fink Jumps On “Next AI Trade”, Warning World Will Be “Short Power”
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/blackrocks-larry-fink-jumps-next-ai-trade-warning-world-will-be-short-power
Next: The proliferation of data centres down under.
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The following article title cites Microsoft but there’s much more than just Microsoft in the content; it’s an update of NH to SH submarine cable connection – USA – Hawaii – EC Australia + New Zealand – Indonesia – Malaysia, and data centre development:
Microsoft’s NZ datacentres to be powered by carbon-zero electricity
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/473203/microsoft-s-nz-datacentres-to-be-powered-by-carbon-zero-electricity
Snippets:
And,
And,
And,
And,
No mention of “hyperscale” datacentres being situated near concentrations of intermittant solar and/or wind power – they need stable cheap plentiful base-type generation like hydro.
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ESG out, AI in.
In the blink of an eye reliable electricity from fossil fuel becomes woke.
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It will be hilarious if the Australian and other woke aspiring totalitarian governments have to build coal, gas and nuclear power stations to power the AI and data centres vitally necessary to control, monitor and propagadise to the masses.
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Datacentres, AI, etc, will surely just install their own power stations – coal, SMR, gas – and leave the grid to them asses.
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Maybe Solarwatt could follow Fortescue into Arizona.
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Good idea.
“Green” projects like “green” hydrogen and “green” solar panels need plenty of cheap coal, gas and nuclear power to make manufacture viable.
However, the final product will still be expensive and useless compared to hydrocarbon fuels and coal, gas, nuclear or real hydro (not SH2) power stations.
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Love that illustration! The tone of the German solar boosters are priceless. Indignant after not receiving more handouts, they then whinge about it. I was waiting for the “…. but, we’re saving the world from climate change, so we need more handouts”. Which is where Australia is right now, because the politicians/ bureaucrats are still in that mode where they believe in the climate change scam. In fact, name any major scam over the last 40 years and our government will fall for it every time. What you would call a major dose of FOMO on our country’s behalf.
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Germany was mighty at sparks,
When they had full control of their marks,
Then with Euro/E.U.,
Their electrons were few,
So few, dimming street lights and parks.
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Like the impossible perpetual motion machine, making solar panels via solar power hints at a perpetual solar power machine where the panels reproduce themselves with sunlight and silicon as the only ingredients.
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Like windmills, the aim of all solar panels is to reduce CO2 emissions, not CO2 itself. But the alleged problem is total CO2 not CO2 emissions. And there is no evidence at all the CO2 emissions contribute to CO2. Nor volcanoes, geology, bush fires, deforestation or even the new one, forestation where NASA reports enough trees have appeared since 1998 to cover all of South America. None affect CO2.
About the only obvious thing which affects CO2 is the annual warming and cooling of the ocean surface which is the clearest indication that slow ocean surface warming is growing CO2 at about 0.2% a year. So warming produces increased CO2, as you would expect from Henry’s Law. The idea that humans emissions can affect CO2 is unproven and unlikely as it is increasingly clear that the CO2 greenhouse effect is saturated and further increases make no difference anyway.
By direct measurement with radio carbon dating, human CO2 is only 3.0% of atmospheric CO2 and this is all in rapid transit into the ocean where it ends up. Which is self evident as annual human fossil fuel CO2 is about 5% of total CO2 at 0.042%. So self evidently near half of fossil fuel CO2 has already gone into the oceans in only six months. Only 3% of atmospheric CO2 is fossil fuel CO2 in transit in the great and rapid equilibrium between air and vast oceans of the most soluble gas in the atmosphere.
But rather than admit humans do not and cannot affect CO2 and that additional CO2 does not produce warming anyway, the UN is forcing countries to spend $1.5Tn a year on fake solutions to a fake problem.
Why doesn’t everyone follow China’s lead? And stop trying?
China now outputs nearly half of all CO2, much of it in making solar panels and 500,000 huge windmills. As the pay back period in CO2 savings is about 8 years, the fastest way to reduce human CO2 emissions is to stop making solar panels and windmills. And the fastest way to stop China making solar panels and windmills is to stop buying them!
Even politicians might understand the insanity of continuing to buy near exclusively Chinese solar panels and windmills to solve a problem allegedly created by the manufacture of Chinese solar panels and windmills?
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So when do we get the next big hyperinflation and depression when savings become worthless and no-one can afford to eat, followed by the war to end all wars to punish the innocent?
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Ask your local politician. He or she or they will probably say gender is the biggest problem facing humanity. Pronouns will save us.
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Don’t worry the one billion dollar Albo venture capital solar manufacturing business not yet prepared will be a success.
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Since Australia is already fully saturated with solar panels, I suppose the panels built will be for ongoing replacement of existing installations.
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“fully saturated” ?
The privately funded roof top PV panels will continue to grow albeit perhaps in line with the increase of grid supplied power prices.
OTOH, adding roofs and panels to parking lots might actually be a useful idea. As well as for the buildings (schools, shire offices) that are mainly used during the day (and with lights almost always on).
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AS the shortage of reliable power increases, coming at the total cost of western economies, our economies will be faced in the opposite direction with the tsunami of the next industrial revolution as AI and robotics crank up at a great rate. Can’t get over the clash with AI: First it was Artificial Insemination even though the world doubled population from ~4Billion to ~8Billion in 50years. Now its Artificial Intelligence! What a pity the second didn’t antedate the former.
AI+Robotics look like creating a workers’ disaster for billions. The only saving grace seems to be the passing of the baby boomers (to the unrealised relief of politicians; or maybe it is realised but the boomers are great outlet on which to vent political frustrations) and the fact that increasing national wealth seems to decrease the fertility rate.
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“the world doubled population from ~4Billion to ~8Billion in 50years”
In a way, it didn’t. What happened is that many people who were around 50 years ago are still around. Doubling and tripling life expectancy does that without increased birthrate. Families in most countries are a lot smaller. Some countries are well into negative growth without disease. And ageing population will hit hard in China, the US, Japan, Europe and more.
Good thing they all have solar panels to heat their homes, something which would be less expensive if there was a little more Global Warming.
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We are living in an age of enslavement. It’s out of sight and therefore out of mind for most. It’s not just sneakers and appliances. There is human trafficking through open borders. There is drug trafficking through open borders. Taking away hydrocarbon fuels from the first world has so many bad consequences I can not list them. And what is “owning nothing-but you will be happy” but enslavement?
Are these unintended consequences?
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Bowen deserves the ignoramus laureate award in perpetuity!
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None of the above is new. All these issues and failures were obvious three decades ago. The plan has always been simple and clear – destroy western civilization and its ethos. The plan is nearly accomplished. The USA, Europe, Australia, and Canada are participating willingly in our own elimination.
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[…] From JoNova […]
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Solar was never going to be a big player in northern Europe, it had to be wind but the meteorologists didn’t bother to tell them about wind droughts, although sailors and millers must have known about the Dunkellfautes for ever.
Very strange!
https://www.flickerpower.com/images/The_endless_wind_drought_crippling_renewables___The_Spectator_Australia.pdf
The spectre of power failure is haunting Europe as Britain and Germany demonstrate that modern societies can’t run on wind and solar power. Wind droughts are the fatal flaw in the system and one can envisage a future book titled How Wind Droughts Destroyed Western Civilisation. T
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Indeed. It even features in the opera “The Flying Dutchman” in which, when questioned by an impatient passenger as to the delays, the captain proclaims (translated) “Those who count on the wind, count on Satan’s mercy”
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Those who could do meaningful arithmetic, worked that out before the turn of the century.
Germany at times generates so much surplus PV, that they have to disconnect some large installations as the grid can’t handle the flow. And when the grid can handle the surplus flow, neighbouring countries will only take the excess for a fee. Similar story for wind-generated power.
The rest of the time, Germany is begging electrical power from neighbours. The country has become dependent on imports. It is a nett importer of electricity.
There is no storage of the required dimension. The grid is incapable of sustaining the random generation. The grid infrastructure is almost a decade behind “schedule” in build-out requiring vastly more funds, materials, machinery and labour than are available. Even the basics of supply have not been provided with cities unable to allow new homes to be built because there is no electrical power to spare. Thousands of installed heat pumps throughout the country cannot be connected because their collective requirement would exceed local capacity; so even newly-built residences cannot be occupied.
Germany’s Federal Audit Office recently condemned Germany Energy Transformation as a failure.
Around the year 2000; the grid required about a dozen manual redispatch interventions. In 2023, it required an average of about 2 every HOUR to prevent a major collapse of electrical power.
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