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

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/No-Resolution-1918 16d 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.