Recent comments in /f/IAmA

oksaywhen t1_j7w1fot wrote

Reply to I’m Sammy Roth, an L.A. Times reporter trying to figure out where to put all the solar and wind farms we'll need to fight climate change. Is farmland the answer? AMA! by losangelestimes

Are you aware of any opportunities for homeowners who live in cloudier places (pacific Northwest) to buy into solar farms (shares in co-ops ideally?) in sunnnier climes rather than install solar on their own roof? The economics of solar near Seattle are doable but not awesome yet.

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truthinlies t1_j7w0ltp wrote

Reply to I’m Sammy Roth, an L.A. Times reporter trying to figure out where to put all the solar and wind farms we'll need to fight climate change. Is farmland the answer? AMA! by losangelestimes

What are the best places to put solar panels you've found so far?

Personally I think places like stadium/airport parking lots, large building rooftops like schools or convention centers, and highways in the city would all be good spots to fit a lot in, but I doubt that will meet the need.

Additionally, solar panels have a repair / replacement problem that needs improvement. We can install an old power plant, and its most critical systems don't need service for up to 30 years, whereas solar panels need their critical hardware replaced within 10. What kinds of improvements are being researched to extend the lifetime of solar panels?

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Sammy_Roth t1_j7vzv1n wrote

Reply to comment by frzn_dad in I’m Sammy Roth, an L.A. Times reporter trying to figure out where to put all the solar and wind farms we'll need to fight climate change. Is farmland the answer? AMA! by losangelestimes

Hey, this is a very good question -- thank you for asking. Part of the answer for wind power is the windiest spots in California have already been built out for decades -- the San Gorgonio Pass outside Palm Springs, for instance. Not that there aren't more places wind can be built, but the most economic remaining spots in the American West -- with the strongest winds -- are typically out of state. I get into that more in the Wyoming story: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-08-23/wyoming-clean-energy-california.

With solar, it's definitely much more of a story about developers finding it easier to build in other states -- faster permitting, less environmental opposition, etc. Not that plenty of solar isn't still being built in California, and that there aren't conflicts and critics elsewhere. But your question gets at one of the real tensions here that needs to be worked through. Lots and lots of renewable energy needs to be built, to help maintain a habitable planet for all of us -- now how do we equitably share the costs and benefits of the energy transition?

Trying to help people think through those questions is why I launched Repowering the West: https://www.latimes.com/projects/repowering-the-west/. I hope you'll consider following along!

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