Capacity Factor and Solar Power in BC


                         If you understand Capacity Factor you will know more than all the experts presently picking your public pocket for their fantasy solar projects.

            
                                Nelson gets an award for the Community Solar Garden

Left to right Alex Love, manager of Nelson Hydro he brought city council a business case for the community solar garden, Carmen Proctor city contractor solar expert(no previous known history working with solar), outgoing Mayor Kozak holding award, Trish Dehnel  Community Energy representative.

                                           CAPACITY FACTOR EXPLAINED


         If a hydroelectric plant runs 24/7/365 its said to have a Capacity factor (CF) of 100%.

In the photo below we see the Nelson dam in summer overflowing, all the Orange in the inset graph of Kootenay river monthly water isn't being used to make power.  In the entire Pacific northwest hydro reservoirs are all overflowing from spring runoff into high summer reservoir levels.  Solar at this time is worthless we can't even use all the water.
                                           

  Below is what happens in winter as our reservoirs (batteries) draw down, there is no extra water this is when we could use solar, it doesn't work.  Site C is all about storage for winter power needs.

The above graph is an actual Nelson solar systems actual monthly power.  Notice almost all power is made in summer the same time water is spilling over the dam unneeded.  Solar is worthless.


BC Hydro literature and years of known data allow a 10% capacity factor for solar in BC.
BCH is generous viewing it as an independent power source.  The city of Nelson is the only city in western Canada with its own hydro generation and distribution.  The community solar garden solar panels at the dam are actually worthless, less than worthless.  The solar power could have been profits earned is now water down the river.  For a phoney feelgood political agenda that all Nelson hydro customers are stuck paying for.   All Nelson hydro customers will pay full retail for this solar power, and all future costs, so that money can be distributed to those who bought a 25 year contract for a solar panels power output.  And it adds to the cities carbon footprint, although one wouldn't know that from all the media information.  Nothing is cleaner or greener than our waterpower.

Almost all annual solar power in BC is made when we don't need it, our reservoirs are full, overflowing we can't even use or need all the water.

That brings solar Solar Capacity Factor down from 10% to around 2.3%.

Who would build a power plant that works 2.3% of the time, intermittently, undependably, never at night, in the rain and only last for maybe 25 years?

Thats what the City of Nelson has done.

Using that information the 61,000kWh solar power earned by the Nelson Community Solar garden last year becomes 61,000kWh x 2.3% =1403kWh

They say the system cost $339,000, they added security cameras, there was stolen copper, stolen solar panels, Nelson hydro crews installed the power pole, transformer and did other work I am sure is not accounted for easily a $400,000 project.  Business case borrowed at 3.5% over 25 years the life expectancy of a solar project. debt repayment is $24,000 annually plus any and all future costs.

Let apply some valuation to that

Nelson hydro makes power for 2c/kWh x 1403kWh = $28.

Who would spend $24,000  to make $28? And charge Nelson hydro customers full retail for the full annual solar power when 97.8% is of no value  -  see CF above.  Politics and ethics (more correctly a total lack of ethics by the cities expert) combined to create this.  There was never a business case for the manager to bring to city council.

 and the coming solar toxic waste ExPlosIon 



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