energy wastage

[Willy]

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/05/visualizing-u-s-energy-consumption-in-one-chart

How much can be saved by local energy generation ?

How much more
cost efficient,
energy efficient,
and
environmentally friendly
would solar electricity generation have become had the people not allowed their selves
to become distracted from the original promise of it.
   i.e.
What happens when the energy needed to refine quartz into silicon panels is from
solar electric cells?
What happens when the energy needed to refine the aluminum ore for the support
frames for mounting solar electrics is from solar electric cells ?
What happens when the energy needed to produce glass coverings for solar panels
is from solar electric cells?
What happens when the energy needed for the mining operations is from solar electric cells?
What happens when the energy for the transportation of materials if from solar electric cells ?

Its not too late !

[bistander]

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/05/visualizing-u-s-energy-consumption-in-one-chart

Hi Willy,
I love those charts. Thanks.
I'll insert some opinions as answers to your questions.

How much can be saved by local energy generation ?

Typically the larger generation facilities are more energy and cost efficient/effective considering all like efficiency, power distribution, fuel transport, etc. Rooftop or local solar may buck this.

How much more
cost efficient,
energy efficient,
and
environmentally friendly
would solar electricity generation have become had the people not allowed their selves
to become distracted from the original promise of it.
   i.e.
What happens when the energy needed to refine quartz into silicon panels is from
solar electric cells?
What happens when the energy needed to refine the aluminum ore for the support
frames for mounting solar electrics is from solar electric cells ?
What happens when the energy needed to produce glass coverings for solar panels
is from solar electric cells?
What happens when the energy needed for the mining operations is from solar electric cells?
What happens when the energy for the transportation of materials if from solar electric cells ?

You seem to focus on solar. Why not include other renewable energy production?
But economics should yield the answer for your questions. As the renewable energy sector grows, the cost of its product decreases thereby encouraging the energy needed to produce and distribute the equipment to use the lower cost energy from the product they produce instead of the legacy energy supplies.

A pitfall which I can imagine is that as the above scenario unfolds, reduced demand will drive the legacy energy costs down. Those that are rich in natural resources and greedy will not capitulate easily I fear.

Realize the article dated and chart is from 2017. I wish I could see our current year or even a projection. I think we have improved in renewable sources in the past 5 years that it would actually show on the chart noticably.

But there is always greed and stupidity. Several links are presented just after your article, the first of which was about bit coin mining energy. It was dated, but predicted that "by 2020, bitcoin mining could be consuming the same amount of electricity every year as is currently used by the entire world." What is percentage of rejected energy with such activity? 100%?

Another thing which stands out from the chart is the inefficiency of the internal combustion engine, especially in the transportation sector. I have long been a proponent of the EV, battery powered or otherwise (fuel cell, hybrid, etc). I am encouraged by the ongoing adoption of this technology. The efficiency comparison of the EV to legacy vehicle replaced is pasted on the car window as EPA equivalent mileage. I think that is impressive, and likely to improve.

I've always maintained that the free energy most available to us today is the kWh not wasted as heat in a process which you have reduced the loss by a kWh. That's a free kWh you would not have, had you not increased the process efficiency.
bi

[Willy]

How much more
cost efficient,
energy efficient,
and
environmentally friendly
would solar electricity generation have become had the people not allowed their selves
to become distracted from the original promise of it.
   i.e.
What happens when the energy needed to refine quartz into silicon panels is from
solar electric cells?
What happens when the energy needed to refine the aluminum ore for the support
frames for mounting solar electrics is from solar electric cells ?
What happens when the energy needed to produce glass coverings for solar panels
is from solar electric cells?
What happens when the energy needed for the mining operations is from solar electric cells?
What happens when the energy for the transportation of materials if from solar electric cells ?

The cost to produce solar electrics goes down dramatically.
The carbon foot print of manufacturing solar electrics goes down dramatically.
Less coal is burned and so on.

The environmental benefits start to move toward exponential.

Bistander qute
"Typically the larger generation facilities are more energy and cost efficient/effective considering all like efficiency, power distribution, fuel transport, etc. Rooftop or local solar may buck this."
Bistander quote end

            No shit ??

[Willy]

Wish the charts were more current as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_photovoltaic_power_stations

Which ones are for the production of solar panels/solar panel materials ? None ?

[Dog-One]

There is enough technology gathered in this one place, happening
right now, to solve many problems we all face.

https://space23.mapyourshow.com/8_0/explore/exhibitor-gallery.cfm

Seventy percent efficient solar panels...    Check!
Hydrogen fuel cells...                              Check!