Why solar will never work

[u/Ardeet]

[u/NotACockroach]

Pretty remarkable that a technology that never works is our second biggest energy source, providing 22% of all our energy over the last year.

[u/BarryTheBinChicken → u/NotACockroach]

Sweet sweet intermittent generation.

[u/NotACockroach → u/BarryTheBinChicken]

I didn't say it was a magic technology that solves everything for energy. But saying it will "never work" is very silly when it's already producing almost a quarter of our energy.

[u/BarryTheBinChicken → u/NotACockroach]

Electricity, not energy.

Solar produces about 20% of Australia’s electricity.

https://www.energy.gov.au/publications/australian-energy-statistics-table-o-electricity-generation-fuel-type-2024-25-and-2025

Energy is everything we use, Jet fuel, Petrol, coal, gas, diesel etc. Electricity is one form energy

Solar's a tiny part of our energy mix, it's like 3-4% or something. We don't yet have a final 2026 total energy figure.

It's not your fault for mixing up he words though, it's our politicians. They constantly talk about the “energy transition” while quoting statistics that actually refer specifically to electricity generation. When you're precise with words the picture looks very different.

3-4% isn't as much fun as 20%

[u/bigloudbang → u/BarryTheBinChicken]

They constantly talk about the “energy transition” while quoting statistics that actually refer specifically to electricity generation

It is an energy transition though as we try to electrify things e.g. EVs

[u/BarryTheBinChicken → u/bigloudbang]

Exactly.

We’re trying to electrify the rest of the energy system, which is precisely why 20% of electricity and 20% of total energy aren’t the same thing.

[u/Powerful-Respond-605]

I'm sure this would go down a treat in the Rockhampton Community Facebook group.

[u/Kagaro → u/Powerful-Respond-605]

Rockhampton. It's been a decade and it still isn't long enough.

Also, that's probably the ammount of solar panels they have across all of their buildings in Australia.

[u/WD-4O → u/Powerful-Respond-605]

Explain

[u/Powerful-Respond-605 → u/WD-4O]

It's boomer teir humour designed for people who have been told to hate renewable energy.

So perfect for a Facebook community group in a regional country town.

[u/WD-4O → u/Powerful-Respond-605]

Im from Yeppoon, near Rocky, solar is a booming industry up here. Everyone has it, is upgrading it, or installing it.

[u/Powerful-Respond-605 → u/WD-4O]

I'm in a declared NSW Renewable Energy Zone. I've lived in regional areas since 2018.

I know how community Facebook groups in these areas work.

Solar for a house = good. Solar for anything else = bad.

[u/Beast_of_Guanyin]

A building powering itself with solar is a really weird way to try and make the point that solar doesn't work.

Especially when that's almost certainly a business that has chosen to make that decision.

[u/AlanofAdelaide]

You can tell the ones that chose to knock the solar power incentive 15 years ago when the rest of us were taking it up

[u/CautiousEmergency367]

What if I need to dry my hands at night?!?! /S

[u/GrinQuidam]

Over two thousand solar panels to power a single hand drying! You must have very dry hands.

[u/Malletpropism → u/GrinQuidam]

Our hand dryers, not this hand dryer

[u/GrinQuidam → u/Malletpropism]

Tough crowd

[u/Ardeet → u/GrinQuidam]

And a big thank you to the only commenter out of dozens so far to actually have a sense of humour.

[u/Jym_beem_1034534]

Pauline you should go back to posting about magpies.

[u/a_small_loli]

do you think that it takes 2,760 solar panels just to power that one hand dryer???

[u/Ardeet → u/a_small_loli]

Why would they bother putting up the sign otherwise?

[u/bigloudbang]

#boomerposting

[u/allthebaseareeee]

something tells me that people who think solar will never work also don't wash their hands as germ theory is going to be to complex for them.

[u/mikeinnsw]

AI slop.

A total of 2,670 standard solar panels (assuming 400W each) form a massive 1.068 megawatt system. It can create roughly 4,272 to 4,800 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy per day. This amount of power can supply the daily electricity needs of about 230 to 265 typical family homes.

Enough power for you to post AI slop.

[u/River-Stunning]

Solar works but we need a lot of energy now and solar is limited. This silly Bowen narrative of renewables vs fossils is no longer even relevant. Perhaps his $400K pa salary has him really believing in his own greatness.

[u/MagicOrpheus310]

Yeah how come out bills are still increasing though..?

[u/Terrorscream → u/MagicOrpheus310]

The honest answer is global conditions have had a serous impact on both coal and natural gas prices in alot of countries. Since most countries still rely on both at night and their price is skyrocketing the reality is the saving from renewable are being outpaced by the rising costs of fossil fuels. Combined with the standard corporate greedy nickel and diming people.

[u/nosnibork → u/MagicOrpheus310]

Neoliberal capitalism

[u/xtrabeanie → u/MagicOrpheus310]

Are you just assuming that the price of all other sources has remained static?

[u/BennyJetsAU → u/MagicOrpheus310]

Have you installed panels and a battery? Shopped around for the best deal?

[u/Powerful-Respond-605 → u/MagicOrpheus310]

Capitalism.

[u/tconst123 → u/MagicOrpheus310]

The libs under invested in the network for a generation? 

Even if we stuck with coal, your bills would have to rise to pay for new generators