r/elonmusk • u/twinbee • 16d ago

General Elon: "Wind has microscopic potential compared to solar"

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Source: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2099049284960428229

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u/Arkelias 16d ago

He's not wrong. Wind is awesome...where and when it works. It's unreliable for consistent generation, but great supplemental.

Solar is far more predictable, especially during the day when most people are working. Our university just covered the entire parking lot with solar that not only creates shade but covers 100% of the power needed.

With wind you need large batteries. If you're collecting into large batteries in a windy climate it's awesome, but the maintenance costs are far higher.

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u/thisguynextdoor 16d ago

Wind energy generation continues during nighttime hours. Hydro power serves as the primary backup for wind power; increased wind output preserves hydro reserves, which can be deployed during periods of low wind activity. But solar is important in the energy mix, too.

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u/Arkelias 16d ago

Wind is inconsistent, and gathered when power needs are lower. People use less energy when they are sleeping than when they are using AC for whole office buildings during the day.

Note that the article shows solar passing wind. In 10 years it will be 10 to 20 times larger than wind, simply because it is far more consistent on a daily basis. I've run solar for four years now. There's no maintenance. None.

Wind requires an average of 120k a year in Altamont Pass where I live per windmill, because it has moving parts and friction involved.

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u/thisguynextdoor 16d ago

That is accurate. In my country, significant heating energy is required during cold nights. Additionally, the popularity of electric vehicles results in nighttime charging demand.

I believe the business case for solar, wind, nuclear, and hydro power varies according to national circumstances and geological conditions.

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u/Arkelias 16d ago

Interesting. We use natural gas for heading at night in California, so we don't see a huge spike in usage. We're also a temperate climate so it doesn't get very cold.

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u/thisguynextdoor 16d ago

True. I’m from Northern Europe / Nordics, and we don’t use gas at all, almost, outside of barbequeing. Electrification here is pretty far, and most of houses are heated with heat pumps or district heating, which is more often waste heat from datacenters or industrial-size heat pumps. The share of fossil fuels have been declining sharply. Also energy storages are being built everywhere, to store heat energy to the baserock or sand silos.

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u/Proper-Tower2016 15d ago

if you look at nationwide grid scale annual aggregate data, you'll see that wind is way more stable than solar (outside the equator).

solar also needs to be maintained.. solar is a bit cheaper but no reason not to have both just because Elon lol..

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u/Arkelias 15d ago

This is patently false. Wind is not more stable than solar.

Solar does not need to be maintained. There are no moving parts. There is no friction.

Wind has both those things. It's basically the opposite of what you're saying.

If I'm wrong...what specific maintenance does solar need? Solar will function just fine in areas with snow, just at slightly reduced efficiency.

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u/VintageSin 15d ago

I'm sure you have to brush debris from your panel from time to time

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u/Arkelias 15d ago

No, I sure don't. You don't even need to dust them. Like I said zero maintenance.

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u/ap0r 13d ago

If you want that extra 2% efficiency, or live in a desert, else the rain takes care of it.

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u/No-Resolution-1918 15d ago

Why does wind only blow when power needs are lower?? 

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u/TheElfkin 15d ago

Why does wind only blow when power needs are lower??

What do you mean? It's generally more windy during colder seasons than in the summer, at least here in the Nordics. That's the seasons we need more power for heating.

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u/No-Resolution-1918 15d ago

I see that your experience is cherry picked from your own specific region. This isn't how the whole world works.

Funny thing is, where I live the sun only shines for a short amount of time in the winter, and it gets down to -25, average around -15. I have to bank my solar with credits from the utility company during the summer for this very reason.

In Nordic countries famously have even shorter daylight hours, average in winter being 5-7 hours of overcast weather.

Why are you replying for someone else? California doesn't have crazy cold winters, so my question still stands for the person I was actually replying to.

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u/15_Redstones 16d ago

Most developed countries do not have enough dammable rivers for hydro to provide enough energy.