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To replace global fossil fuel consumption with solar would take 274 billion panels. The energy to mine, manufacture and install those panels translates to 96 billion barrels of oil, 374 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 23 billion tons of coal. Then there's the fact that solar panels... last only 15 to 20 years before needing replacing, meaning the cycle of mining, smelting and building repeats every generation. Even if 274 billion panels were built and installed, solar doesn't deliver 24-7 power. Massive backup systems, batteries, gas plants or other infrastructure would still be required, demanding billions more tons of material. You can't mine and manufacture your way out of the second law of thermodynamics. Solar is not a one-time build. It's an industrial treadmill: endless mining, endless rebuilding, endless waste -- all to chase an illusion of replacing the dense, affordable and reliable energy we already have.show more

Electroverse

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The talk around Net Zero ignores many inconvenient facts, but top of the list is probably the mining requirements to get us there. For the world to reach Net Zero by 2050--that is, to build the solar panels and wind turbines required--we'd need to mine over 4.5 billion tons of copper, 940 million tons of nickel, 9 billion tons of graphite and 4 million tons of germanium. At today's mining rates that would take more than a thousand years. Net Zero is nigh on impossible to achieve. And even attempting to do so will ravage vast areas of the planet.

The talk around Net Zero ignores many inconvenient facts, but top of the list is probably the mining requirements to get us there. For the world to reach Net Zero by 2050--that is, to build the solar panels and wind turbines required--we'd need to mine over 4.5 billion tons of copper, 940 million tons of nickel, 9 billion tons of graphite and 4 million tons of germanium. At today's mining rates that would take more than a thousand years. Net Zero is nigh on impossible to achieve. And even attempting to do so will ravage vast areas of the planet.

Electroverse

39,084 views • 2 months ago

Wind and solar are sold as clean and sustainable, but eventually the hardware becomes waste. The US currently has 76,000 wind turbines and 650 million solar panels installed. The turbine blades alone represent 5.5 million tons of eventual waste. Existing US solar panels represent another 18 million tons. Unlike conventional power plants that can operate for 50 to 80 years or more, wind turbines and solar panels require replacement after 15 to 20 years (shorter by some studies). By 2050, cumulative global waste is projected to reach 200 million tons of wind turbine blades and 78 million tons of solar panels. Turbine blades are nigh on impossible to recycle. Solar panels are technically easier, but recovering many embedded materials is often expensive and uneconomic. Much of it ultimately faces the same destination: landfill. Wind and solar are labelled renewable, but there's nothing renewable about them.

Wind and solar are sold as clean and sustainable, but eventually the hardware becomes waste. The US currently has 76,000 wind turbines and 650 million solar panels installed. The turbine blades alone represent 5.5 million tons of eventual waste. Existing US solar panels represent another 18 million tons. Unlike conventional power plants that can operate for 50 to 80 years or more, wind turbines and solar panels require replacement after 15 to 20 years (shorter by some studies). By 2050, cumulative global waste is projected to reach 200 million tons of wind turbine blades and 78 million tons of solar panels. Turbine blades are nigh on impossible to recycle. Solar panels are technically easier, but recovering many embedded materials is often expensive and uneconomic. Much of it ultimately faces the same destination: landfill. Wind and solar are labelled renewable, but there's nothing renewable about them.

Electroverse

14,100 views • 1 month ago

California has built one of the largest solar fleets in the world. Panels are strewn across deserts, rooftops and valleys, costing taxpayers billions of dollars. It was promised as the power of the future. Then the duck curve hit. Solar floods the grid during the height of the day, far more than California can use, so operators are forced to dump gigawatts of power. Then the sun sets and solar output collapses to zero, just as evening demand spikes. California then scrambles to fire up gas plants to keep the lights on,with billions more spent on this backup generation. The world's solar capital ends every day running on fossil fuels. A 24-7 gas grid would cost far less to construct and maintain than solar, and it would actually work 24-7.

California has built one of the largest solar fleets in the world. Panels are strewn across deserts, rooftops and valleys, costing taxpayers billions of dollars. It was promised as the power of the future. Then the duck curve hit. Solar floods the grid during the height of the day, far more than California can use, so operators are forced to dump gigawatts of power. Then the sun sets and solar output collapses to zero, just as evening demand spikes. California then scrambles to fire up gas plants to keep the lights on,with billions more spent on this backup generation. The world's solar capital ends every day running on fossil fuels. A 24-7 gas grid would cost far less to construct and maintain than solar, and it would actually work 24-7.

Electroverse

168,088 views • 8 months ago

"There is no such thing as renewable energy," says geologist and energy expert Scott Tinker. Sunlight and wind are continuously replenished. Solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries are not - they require mining, vast quantities of materials, manufacturing, land, backup power, and eventual replacement. Tinker is not anti-wind or anti-solar. His point is that low-density intermittent energy cannot simply replace the dense, dispatchable power modern civilization depends on. When the sun sets or the wind drops, electricity still has to come from storage, gas, nuclear, or some other firm source. And despite decades of "energy transition" (and the trillions spent), fossil fuels still provide 86% of global primary energy. The real transition, Tinker argues, will come through increasingly dense, reliable, and cleaner energy: top of the list being natural gas and nuclear. Affordable energy creates prosperity. Policy should follow physics.

"There is no such thing as renewable energy," says geologist and energy expert Scott Tinker. Sunlight and wind are continuously replenished. Solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries are not - they require mining, vast quantities of materials, manufacturing, land, backup power, and eventual replacement. Tinker is not anti-wind or anti-solar. His point is that low-density intermittent energy cannot simply replace the dense, dispatchable power modern civilization depends on. When the sun sets or the wind drops, electricity still has to come from storage, gas, nuclear, or some other firm source. And despite decades of "energy transition" (and the trillions spent), fossil fuels still provide 86% of global primary energy. The real transition, Tinker argues, will come through increasingly dense, reliable, and cleaner energy: top of the list being natural gas and nuclear. Affordable energy creates prosperity. Policy should follow physics.

Electroverse

12,655 views • 1 month ago

Elon Musk: If you covered the entire cleared area around a nuclear power station with solar panels, the solar panels would often produce more electricity than the nuclear plant itself. “If you take a nuclear power station and the whole clear area that's around it, it ends up being quite a bit of land. If you carpeted that land with solar panels, which would generate more, the nuclear power station or the solar panels? And usually, it's the solar panels. Now of course, you could always amp up the nuclear power station, but just taking the way things currently are, that's sort of an interesting data point. It's just to give you a sense of how much energy is hitting the Earth from the sun.” From: Interview at the EEI Annual Convention, June 11, 2015

Elon Musk: If you covered the entire cleared area around a nuclear power station with solar panels, the solar panels would often produce more electricity than the nuclear plant itself. “If you take a nuclear power station and the whole clear area that's around it, it ends up being quite a bit of land. If you carpeted that land with solar panels, which would generate more, the nuclear power station or the solar panels? And usually, it's the solar panels. Now of course, you could always amp up the nuclear power station, but just taking the way things currently are, that's sort of an interesting data point. It's just to give you a sense of how much energy is hitting the Earth from the sun.” From: Interview at the EEI Annual Convention, June 11, 2015

ELON CLIPS

52,173 views • 9 months ago

Manufacturing solar panels requires extreme heat, up to 3,600F, to turn silicon dioxide into usable silicon. hen, for every megawatt of panels produced, inputs total around 1.4 tons of toxic chemicals and nearly 3,000 tons of water. Production can also release greenhouse gases thousands of times more potent than CO2 molecule-for-molecule. Silicon is wasted during wafer cutting, while other manufacturing stages involve hazardous compounds, including trichlorosilane and silicon tetrachloride. Then comes disposal. IRENA projects global solar panel waste will reach around 6 million tons every year by 2050, with cumulative waste approaching 78 million tons. Recycling is possible, but it requires more energy, water, chemical processing and specialized facilities. Solar panels can be labeled "clean," but only if you ignore the intensive mining, extreme heat, toxic chemistry, manufacturing waste, disposal, and also the short life cycle (of just 10 to 15 years).

Manufacturing solar panels requires extreme heat, up to 3,600F, to turn silicon dioxide into usable silicon. hen, for every megawatt of panels produced, inputs total around 1.4 tons of toxic chemicals and nearly 3,000 tons of water. Production can also release greenhouse gases thousands of times more potent than CO2 molecule-for-molecule. Silicon is wasted during wafer cutting, while other manufacturing stages involve hazardous compounds, including trichlorosilane and silicon tetrachloride. Then comes disposal. IRENA projects global solar panel waste will reach around 6 million tons every year by 2050, with cumulative waste approaching 78 million tons. Recycling is possible, but it requires more energy, water, chemical processing and specialized facilities. Solar panels can be labeled "clean," but only if you ignore the intensive mining, extreme heat, toxic chemistry, manufacturing waste, disposal, and also the short life cycle (of just 10 to 15 years).

Electroverse

32,280 views • 1 month ago

A solar panel's lifespan is just 15 to 20 years. After that, efficiency drops and it needs replacing. Each panel is built from glass, aluminum, silicone, silver, copper and polymers. While glass and aluminum can be recycled, the silicone, silver and polymers (the most mining/energy-intensive components) are rarely recovered due to the cost and difficulty involved. Because of this, the panels simply end up in landfills. By 2050, solar panel waste is estimated to hit 78 million tons, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. This is the dirty secret of 'clean' energy: short lifespan, heavy mining, and a growing toxic waste crisis.

A solar panel's lifespan is just 15 to 20 years. After that, efficiency drops and it needs replacing. Each panel is built from glass, aluminum, silicone, silver, copper and polymers. While glass and aluminum can be recycled, the silicone, silver and polymers (the most mining/energy-intensive components) are rarely recovered due to the cost and difficulty involved. Because of this, the panels simply end up in landfills. By 2050, solar panel waste is estimated to hit 78 million tons, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. This is the dirty secret of 'clean' energy: short lifespan, heavy mining, and a growing toxic waste crisis.

Electroverse

58,030 views • 6 months ago

A solar panel's lifespan is just 15 to 20 years. After that, efficiency drops and it needs replacing. Each panel is built from glass, aluminum, silicone, silver, copper and polymers. While glass and aluminum can be recycled, the silicone, silver and polymers (the most mining/energy-intensive components) are rarely recovered due to the cost and difficulty involved. Because of this, the panels simply end up in landfills. By 2050, solar panel waste is estimated to hit 78 million tons, according to International Renewable Energy Agency. This is the dirty secret of clean energy: short lifespan, heavy mining and a growing toxic waste crisis.

A solar panel's lifespan is just 15 to 20 years. After that, efficiency drops and it needs replacing. Each panel is built from glass, aluminum, silicone, silver, copper and polymers. While glass and aluminum can be recycled, the silicone, silver and polymers (the most mining/energy-intensive components) are rarely recovered due to the cost and difficulty involved. Because of this, the panels simply end up in landfills. By 2050, solar panel waste is estimated to hit 78 million tons, according to International Renewable Energy Agency. This is the dirty secret of clean energy: short lifespan, heavy mining and a growing toxic waste crisis.

Electroverse

17,596 views • 2 months ago

The world has spent approximately $6–7 trillion cumulatively on wind turbines and solar panels. With that amount, we could have built up to 1,400 standard nuclear power plants (each with ~1–1.2 GW capacity, typical for modern large reactors). With proper maintenance, safety upgrades, and regulatory approvals, many nuclear plants last 60 years- 80 years or more. A typical wind or solar farm lasts about 20 years, meaning we would need to spend up to $21 trillion to produce the same energy as nuclear. With $21 trillion, the world could theoretically fund up to 4,000 nuclear power plants. Now lets talk about wind turbines. Without the Production Tax Credit (PTC), many wind farms were not economically viable from electricity sales alone, due to high upfront costs, intermittency (requiring backup power), and competition from cheaper sources like natural gas. The tax credits effectively offset a significant portion of costs—in some cases covering much or all of the investment for tax-liable entities—turning otherwise marginal or unprofitable projects into attractive ones. Are you seeing the scam? It's time to start building more nuclear and less of these green dream turbines and solar panels.

The world has spent approximately $6–7 trillion cumulatively on wind turbines and solar panels. With that amount, we could have built up to 1,400 standard nuclear power plants (each with ~1–1.2 GW capacity, typical for modern large reactors). With proper maintenance, safety upgrades, and regulatory approvals, many nuclear plants last 60 years- 80 years or more. A typical wind or solar farm lasts about 20 years, meaning we would need to spend up to $21 trillion to produce the same energy as nuclear. With $21 trillion, the world could theoretically fund up to 4,000 nuclear power plants. Now lets talk about wind turbines. Without the Production Tax Credit (PTC), many wind farms were not economically viable from electricity sales alone, due to high upfront costs, intermittency (requiring backup power), and competition from cheaper sources like natural gas. The tax credits effectively offset a significant portion of costs—in some cases covering much or all of the investment for tax-liable entities—turning otherwise marginal or unprofitable projects into attractive ones. Are you seeing the scam? It's time to start building more nuclear and less of these green dream turbines and solar panels.

John Lee Pettimore

120,600 views • 9 months ago

Wind turbines deliver 25-35% of their rated capacity across a year. Solar has a ceiling too. Standard silicon panels top out near 33% theoretical efficiency. Then comes the bigger problem. Wind and solar do not run on demand. They need backup, storage, transmission and overbuild. That is the hidden system cost, all left out of official reports. The hardware also wears out. Many assets last 15 years, then the replacement treadmill begins. After decades of subsidies, fossil fuels still supply about 86% of global primary energy. Wind and solar are minor additions, not replacements. There is no energy transition underway.

Wind turbines deliver 25-35% of their rated capacity across a year. Solar has a ceiling too. Standard silicon panels top out near 33% theoretical efficiency. Then comes the bigger problem. Wind and solar do not run on demand. They need backup, storage, transmission and overbuild. That is the hidden system cost, all left out of official reports. The hardware also wears out. Many assets last 15 years, then the replacement treadmill begins. After decades of subsidies, fossil fuels still supply about 86% of global primary energy. Wind and solar are minor additions, not replacements. There is no energy transition underway.

Electroverse

15,037 views • 4 months ago

Elon Musk: Solar energy exceeds all other energy by a factor of a trillion. “The real massive energy source in our solar system, overwhelmingly, is the Sun. The Sun converts roughly 4.5 million tons of mass to energy every second. It's very reliable and requires no maintenance and no servicing. It's pretty great. No service for all that energy! Long term, by far, the most amount of energy we'll get is from the Sun. Solar energy exceeds all other energy by a factor of a trillion, literally. It's not an exaggeration.” Source: Pittsburgh, October 20, 2024

Elon Musk: Solar energy exceeds all other energy by a factor of a trillion. “The real massive energy source in our solar system, overwhelmingly, is the Sun. The Sun converts roughly 4.5 million tons of mass to energy every second. It's very reliable and requires no maintenance and no servicing. It's pretty great. No service for all that energy! Long term, by far, the most amount of energy we'll get is from the Sun. Solar energy exceeds all other energy by a factor of a trillion, literally. It's not an exaggeration.” Source: Pittsburgh, October 20, 2024

ELON CLIPS

1,247,699 views • 1 year ago

🚨“The Chinese, who manufacture virtually all of our solar panels…have been installing cellular radios inside the inverters, which can act as kill switches," says Michael Shellenberger "There was actually a Chinese solar company that turned off the solar panels and sent up a little message to its users, saying: we've turned this off because these solar panels are only authorized to be used in certain countries. …So we know that the Chinese solar companies—all of which essentially can be used as arms of the Chinese military…they are able to to switch off large amounts of solar. And if you are able to do that, then you are able to cause the de-powering and blackouts of the grid. How big of a problem is this? …I think most national security experts view this as something that the Chinese could do if there was, for example, an invasion of Taiwan, and the United States decided to defend Taiwan. The Chinese could potentially trigger blackouts in the United States and Europe. As crazy as that sounds, that is the reality."

🚨“The Chinese, who manufacture virtually all of our solar panels…have been installing cellular radios inside the inverters, which can act as kill switches," says Michael Shellenberger "There was actually a Chinese solar company that turned off the solar panels and sent up a little message to its users, saying: we've turned this off because these solar panels are only authorized to be used in certain countries. …So we know that the Chinese solar companies—all of which essentially can be used as arms of the Chinese military…they are able to to switch off large amounts of solar. And if you are able to do that, then you are able to cause the de-powering and blackouts of the grid. How big of a problem is this? …I think most national security experts view this as something that the Chinese could do if there was, for example, an invasion of Taiwan, and the United States decided to defend Taiwan. The Chinese could potentially trigger blackouts in the United States and Europe. As crazy as that sounds, that is the reality."

Jan Jekielek

549,392 views • 1 year ago

It would take 3.7 trillion pounds of materials to generate half of U.S. electricity with 1,095,000 2 MW wind turbines. Each turbine requires 1,671 tons of material: 1,300 tons concrete, 295 tons steel, 48 tons iron, 24 tons fiberglass, 4 tons copper, 0.4 tons neodymium, and 0.065 tons dysprosium, replaced every 15-20 years. Mining and ore processing, is the second most polluting industry in the world, releasing acid rain and heavy metals into land, water, and air. Extracting and processing dispersed minerals consumes significant fossil fuel energy. Billions more tons of materials are needed for transmission, power plants, and utility-scale batteries, also replaced every 15-20 years. The green energy dream remains just that—a dream.

It would take 3.7 trillion pounds of materials to generate half of U.S. electricity with 1,095,000 2 MW wind turbines. Each turbine requires 1,671 tons of material: 1,300 tons concrete, 295 tons steel, 48 tons iron, 24 tons fiberglass, 4 tons copper, 0.4 tons neodymium, and 0.065 tons dysprosium, replaced every 15-20 years. Mining and ore processing, is the second most polluting industry in the world, releasing acid rain and heavy metals into land, water, and air. Extracting and processing dispersed minerals consumes significant fossil fuel energy. Billions more tons of materials are needed for transmission, power plants, and utility-scale batteries, also replaced every 15-20 years. The green energy dream remains just that—a dream.

John Lee Pettimore

91,384 views • 1 year ago

ELON: YOU COULD EASILY POWER THE ENTIRE US WITH SOLAR Elon: “You could actually power the entire United States with a 100 miles by 100 miles of solar.” Joe Rogan: “So you could just pick some dead spot that you fly over, cover that sucker up with solar panels, and charge the whole country, 24/7?” Elon: “Absolutely. We need batteries, but yes. It's not hard, meaning it's very feasible. The sun is converting over 4 million tons of mass to energy every second, and it's no maintenance. That thing just works.” Source: The Joe Rogan Experience, October 2023, Joe Rogan

ELON: YOU COULD EASILY POWER THE ENTIRE US WITH SOLAR Elon: “You could actually power the entire United States with a 100 miles by 100 miles of solar.” Joe Rogan: “So you could just pick some dead spot that you fly over, cover that sucker up with solar panels, and charge the whole country, 24/7?” Elon: “Absolutely. We need batteries, but yes. It's not hard, meaning it's very feasible. The sun is converting over 4 million tons of mass to energy every second, and it's no maintenance. That thing just works.” Source: The Joe Rogan Experience, October 2023, Joe Rogan

Mario Nawfal

7,204,914 views • 1 year ago

Australia is one of the largest energy exporters on Earth. Yet Australians pay some of the highest gas and electricity prices in the developed world and we are screwed when TSHTF 💩 The system is designed this way. Time for an Australia First energy policy: • Gas for Australians first • Royalties paid to Australians • Domestic fuel refineries restarted • Strategic oil reserves using our own fields • Coal used to guarantee reliable power A country that exports energy to the world should never struggle to power its own homes. ☠️And you can shove your batteries and solar panels where the sun dosent shine 🌞 The problem is Canberra. #AustraliaFirst

Australia is one of the largest energy exporters on Earth. Yet Australians pay some of the highest gas and electricity prices in the developed world and we are screwed when TSHTF 💩 The system is designed this way. Time for an Australia First energy policy: • Gas for Australians first • Royalties paid to Australians • Domestic fuel refineries restarted • Strategic oil reserves using our own fields • Coal used to guarantee reliable power A country that exports energy to the world should never struggle to power its own homes. ☠️And you can shove your batteries and solar panels where the sun dosent shine 🌞 The problem is Canberra. #AustraliaFirst

Scotty Chal

11,335 views • 6 months ago

Germany currently has about 26 gigawatt hours of battery storage. Most of it sits in home batteries with only 4.3 gigawatt hours actually serving the grid. Building that storage already cost more than 10 billion euros and at national demand levels it only covers roughly 30 minutes of summer electricity usage. The winter months bring what's known as "Dunkeflaute" - cold dark windless periods and higher energy usage. To survive a 10-day winter lull (the minimum realistic requirement), Germany would need about 12,000 gigawatt hours of batteries, 470 times today's storage. Such a system would weigh roughly 60 million tons and would be made from vast quantities of lithium, nickel, graphite, copper, aluminum and steel, all requiring intensive mining. At current battery prices, the system would cost trillions of euros. And batteries last only 10 to 15 years, meaning the entire system would need constant replacement. The conclusion is unavoidable... Wind and solar require reliable backup power, renewables need oil, coal, gas and nuclear.

Germany currently has about 26 gigawatt hours of battery storage. Most of it sits in home batteries with only 4.3 gigawatt hours actually serving the grid. Building that storage already cost more than 10 billion euros and at national demand levels it only covers roughly 30 minutes of summer electricity usage. The winter months bring what's known as "Dunkeflaute" - cold dark windless periods and higher energy usage. To survive a 10-day winter lull (the minimum realistic requirement), Germany would need about 12,000 gigawatt hours of batteries, 470 times today's storage. Such a system would weigh roughly 60 million tons and would be made from vast quantities of lithium, nickel, graphite, copper, aluminum and steel, all requiring intensive mining. At current battery prices, the system would cost trillions of euros. And batteries last only 10 to 15 years, meaning the entire system would need constant replacement. The conclusion is unavoidable... Wind and solar require reliable backup power, renewables need oil, coal, gas and nuclear.

Electroverse

61,512 views • 3 months ago