Posted on 06/29/2023 1:52:33 AM PDT by dennisw
Multimillion dollar solar project gets reduced to a heap of toxic rubble by one single hail storm.
The Scottsbluff, Nebraska 5.2 MW Community Solar project was part of the NPPD’s Sunwise program that consisted of an array has over 14,000 solar panels. It’s reported that it had been put into operation in 2019.
Surely the project had been ceremoniously put into operation, with dignitaries and proponents proclaiming it would reliably deliver cheap and clean energy, reduce the state’s carbon footprint and contribute to a bright and climate-friendly future.
Now it has been just recently reported that the multimillion dollar solar energy park was literally reduced to a heap of rubble as hail literally pummeled it to a pulp in just a matter of minutes days ago.
https://twitter.com/WxWyDaryl/status/1673830414329454592
The disaster underscores once again just how vulnerable to the forces of nature solar energy parks are. The system’s 25-year expected lifetime was cut to down to less than 4 years, and makes you wonder if setting up such weather-vulnerable plants make any sense at all.
Dreams vs reality
“This project will help the city achieve its goal to reduce our carbon footprint and stabilize city costs for the next 25 years,” said Nathan D. Johnson, City Manager, City of Scottsbluff. “Through projects like this, we hope to offer an affordable ‘green’ option to our residents, both residential and commercial, to reap the benefits as well.”
That was the dream. A couple of days ago we witnessed the reality.
Now residents will surely have to rely on good old, reliable fossil fuel power to keep the electricity flowing.
And how long will it take to clean up the toxic mess left behind?
PHOTO of destruction here>>>> https://twitter.com/JunkScience/status/1674231956400160771
Truly a message from Above.
Looks like some desert nomads got to it with hammers.
I think when this happens the ground underneath becomes contaminated. That land will never be returned to a farm.
Gee, it never hails in Nebraska, located in the middle tornado alley. Who could have guessed? /sarc
Surely this content was generated by an early version of AI. Surely nobody edited it.
As to the content, I wonder if the owners have insurance. Surely their rates will increase after this episode.
Was this project subsidized with taxpayers’ money?
Midwestern farmers have known about the destructive power of wind, rain and hail for generations.
Solar ‘farmers’ just got an expensive lesson.
At least crops can be planted next year for the price of some tillage and seeds. Solar replanting -— not so much.
Seems they would have a stow position where the panels turn around to protect from hail/hurricane/tornado.
Was this project subsidized with taxpayers’ money?..........
And or a guaranteed buy of all the electricity this panel array generates, by the local utility for the next 25 years. At some inflated rate.
NPPD customers buy “shares” in “Community Solar” projects, so I guess their share value just dropped dramatically? Buy more shares/lose more money for the clean-up and replacement??
https://www.nppd.com/powering-nebraska/solar/community-solar
https://www.nppd.com/powering-nebraska/energy-resources/solar-energy-facilities
The racks, lines, switchgear are probably ok.
Have to replace the panels - seems fixable.
How big was the federal subsidy that paid for creating that disaster?
[sad trombone]
Lets rebuild! It can’t happen again!
“Lets rebuild! It can’t happen again!”
Yes, rebuild but with a retractable dome over it. The dome gets closed shut when hail is in the weather forecast. (Can hail be forecasted?)
LOL!
You can’t fix stupid. Smash it to smithereens.
The Tower Of Babel crosses my mind. Foolish humans doing their best to one-up God. God shows them who’s Boss.
“The dome gets closed shut when hail is in the weather forecast. (Can hail be forecasted?)”
Sometimes we hear the word, “hail”, in our forecasts. Then it doesn’t hail. But often it hails when there’s been no forecast.
Weather forecasts are jokes, at least in our area. You really can’t count on them.
Or hours. About the same thing.
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