One bright report from Israel

[LAsttime]

Solar power in Israel - Wikipedia

Prehaps within 20-30 years Israel will be the first Solor/wind energy  driven oil less country in the world..if only the west would follow suit...result Arab countires will have an excess of oil depoists....and no one to sell it too!!!

[searchinmyroots]

From what I understand, I think Israel has long been a leader in the world as far as using solar and wind.

I also think, although I may be wrong, it is mandatory to have solar on many structures.

At this point in time, I don't think any country can be 100% energy independent just using solar and wind.

I do think, as you mentioned, within the next few decades, that might change.

[Alan_Boskov]

Given Israel's geography and climate, solar- should be much more reliable than wind-driven energy.
Progressive mandates like the one the previous author has mentioned are positive and should become universally accepted, once the bills for energy become greatly reduced or even reversed through excess private production being sold back into the public grid. Such a mandate has even been copied by the present German government, awaiting debate.
Nevertheless, independence from fossil fuels will depend on electrical energy storage, of which will compensate for unfavorable weather conditions. Unless strategically placed (underground?), such storage centers could become vulnerable to terrorism.
Supplemental dormant fossil fuel-consuming powerplants could be kept as back-ups, for the time being.

[searchinmyroots]

Yes, if I'm not mistaken, Germany also has very high solar usage.

Wind power does not provide as much power as solar, but it can be supplemental and useful when there isn't much sun for many days.

And yes, battery storage is essential.

I also agree all of our eggs shouldn't be in one basket so fossil and other fuels should be available to supplement or for backup.

Never thought about the terrorism part but unfortunately in today's times it is something that needs to be guarded against.

[Alan_Boskov]

Wind power is also disputed, regarding both environmental- and technical irregularities:

1-  Birds, bugs and bats are alleged to be endangered by the rotortips of which reach incredibally high speeds: https://www.turbinegenerator.org/wind/wh...ind-speed/



2- The inefficiency of erecting windmills too close to each other has resulted in inefficiency of the downwind units, because of the exploited wind current both slowing down and itself rotating in the direction of the exploiting blade. In which case, the owner of the windpark has either to accept these inefficiencies or will end up raising the efficiency, through exchanging downwind rotors with those designed to turn in the opposite direction from the proceeding ones of which is an expensive update to perform. Therefore, of questionable feasability. 

While once residing on an island in the Nort Sea, I have experienced the high wind speed flowing between buildings and have often wondered as to why this wind source was never harnessed, through underground wind generators placed below these buildings. Not unlike exploiting the roofs of buildings for mounting solar collectors, these underground turbo-fan-resembling domestic wind generators could render each household self-sufficient, during times when the sun isn't shining. The higher and more enclosed the building, the more energy would be available for powering these underground generators. Of course, silencers on both entry and exit, as well as bug screens, would need to be installed. 

[searchinmyroots]

There are other technologies besides using rotors.

It is a developing technology that certainly needs more "tweaking"!

But I think the best product is one where all resources can be used to compliment each other for different weather scenarios.