The Ta’u Island Solar Farm isn’t Cost Efficient, by Jaymez.

Renewable energy enthusiasts were very excited about the news from the tiny island of Ta‘u in the Manu’a Islands of American Samoa. They said they have installed an electricity micro-grid, which only took a year to build, features 1.4 megawatts of solar generation capacity from 5,328 solar panels, and 6 megawatt hours of battery storage from 60 Tesla Powerpacks which can be recharged in 7 hours. It is expected to replace 109,500 gallons of diesel used by the Island annually. …

With a payback period of between 22.5 and 73 years, and costing more than twice the island’s annual GDP, the solar farm is an outrageous expenditure. The Island will still rely on a fossil fuelled generator back-up. Yet the Government bodies and compliant uncurious journalists imply, or pretend, that the project is cost justified.

It’s so difficult for the greenies, starry-eyed ideologues, and journalists. Maths, finance, and engineering are so brain-hurty.

Of course if the cost of repairing and maintaining the equipment becomes greater than relying on the fossil fuel generated power, the renewables just get left in place to rot. I toured The Big Island of Hawaii a couple of years ago and saw this for myself with some of the now disused wind farms which were touted as replacing expensive diesel which had to be shipped to the island. The location they said was ideal for wind turbines with consistent wind all year round.

The disused Kimoan wind farm at South Point on The Big Island Hawaii. Just some of thousands of rusting wind turbines in the US alone.

There are in fact thousands of abandoned wind turbines in the US alone, and there have been some big solar systems which have been left and eventually levelled.

For instance the Carrizo Plain’s solar plant was the largest photovoltaic array in the world, with 100,000 1′ x 4′ photovoltaic arrays producing 5.2 megawatts at its peak. But it failed to compete with the cost of fossil fuel energy production, and without favourable government contracts of subsidy or compulsory power purchase it was not profitable. The site was abandoned until eventually being cleared. …

Solar panels decay and become less effective.

In urban areas, dirt and dust can diminish solar panel efficiency by up to 30%. But on an island with salt laden air the decline in efficiency could be significantly more. Cleaning routines for more than 5,000 panels will need to be regular and rigorous, and fresh water is at a premium on the island. …

Nineteen companies participated in the Thermal Cycling test with efficiency degradation rates varying from 1% to 35%.

The Damp Heat test also produced varying results. Modules were held at a constant temperature of 85° Celsius and a relative humidity of 85% for 1,000 hours (about 42 days). Twenty-one companies participated in the Damp Heat Test, with degradation rates varying from 0.6% to 58.8%. …

Twenty-two companies participated in the Potential Induced Degradation (PID) test, with degradation rates varying from 0% to 58.3%.

Typically the current standard 25-year warranty is triggered if modules degrade more than 3% within the first year and at a linear rate down to 80% of its original power-rating in year 25. …

Heh, isn’t this the island that got flattened by cyclone Olaf a few years ago?

In February 2005 Cyclone Olaf came through the area. Radio Australia reported“The island of Ta’u in the Manu’a group, 100 kilometres east of the American Samoan capital Pago Pago, appears to be the worst hit. It may take up to a week for power to be restored after the island’s generator was severely damaged.”…

February 2005: Cyclone Olaf decimates the Manu’a Islands in American Samoa. Worst hit was the island of Ta’u

This is the lesson we have learned over and over again when we look at renewables. Unless the project comes with a massive government (taxpayer) subsidy, it cannot be afforded and can never be cost justified. …

As Google engineers announced some time ago, Renewable Energy with currently known technology cannot compete on cost with fossil fuels. Why do so many journalists and government bodies want us to believe otherwise?

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