No. of Recommendations: 14
The video of a BHE Wind Energy construction site is impressive & entertaining,I also found the video impressive & entertaining. It's a serious construction project involving a lot of steps.
It did trigger a question in my mind. How big of a "cost and carbon emissions debt" does a wind turbine build up during construction? How much CO2 and other emissions are generated before the wind turbine starts generating carbon free electricity? Not unlike EV's which also consume fossil fuels in the materials used in their construction - steel, plastics, batteries, etc. And what are the ROIC economics?
I note that there's large amount of excavation required in building the base for the turbines. That's all done by fossil fuel powered machines. There's also a large amount of cement then poured. Cement requires fossil fuels in its manufacture because of the high temperatures required. The core structures of the turbines are made of plastic, as well as the turbine blades themselves. Plastics also require high temperatures to make the monomers that ultimately result in their end products. There's the internal steel machines, also requiring high temps for making the steel. And transportation and erection also require energy delivered by fossil fuels. Finally turbines have a finite life - they must be disassembled and disposed of, again requiring energy from ICI driven machines? And there's the question of using batteries for storage during periods of excess energy production and grid support when the wind doesn't blow. And there's also operating and maintenance costs.
This is an honest question. Not trying to argue against wind power. But it's not carbon free energy immediately. And what is the ROIC without subsidies?
Put another way, what is the "payoff period" for wind turbines before they start really generating carbon free power and net cash flow?
I found this interesting analysis from an AI search. It concludes, based on a 25 year life span, it takes 6 years and 7 months to start achieving an economic return.
https://todayshomeowner.com/eco-friendly/guides/ho...So electricity from wind power helps reduce carbon based emissions over time. It isn't immediate - you first go into an emissions "debt" and then retire it over time. However this time, depending upon many factors, can be pretty quick - 6 months. It's the economics that take time.
Makes one wonder what the economics are without government subsidies? Buffett has stated before that he wouldn't invest in solar without the subsidies. How might changes in wind subsidies impact timing?
I'm glad I asked myself the question and did a little research. Wind is a move in the right direction, but the payoff isn't immediate.
I need to look at this in more depth. Has anyone?
