PV Gap

Derrick Said:

Financing the set-up of a solar farm and selling electricity to the grid? Profitable business idea?

We Answered:

Currently, the start-up investment and maintenance costs in solar energy is too high to be profitable. No solar power generator is making a profit off of market rates. Government grants and subsidies are keeping this entire industry barely afloat at the moment (at least in the US, I am not certain about Canada but would be confident in assuming the same).

If you want to take a look at what the financial picture of a solar power company looks like currently, take a look at Evergreen Solar (I have linked their most recent annual report below). They not only do solar farms, but also manufacture and sell the solar panels.

Rosemary Said:

Financing the set-up of a solar farm and selling it to the grid? Profitable business idea?

We Answered:

bad idea. for several reasons.

utilities pay far less for electricity than what they charge you.
they also have to absorb the costs of maintaining the grid.

solar panel technology is still young, and improving.
the panel you pay several thousand dollars for today will only be worth a few hundred dollars fairly soon.
and, you'll be able to buy panels that produce more electricity for the same area.

you're not likely to find any investors.
i surely wouldn't want any part of it.

utilities are generally required to buy electricity from residential customers.
they are not required to buy it from small generators.
the utility is probably not going to want to do business with you.
if you're sufficiently uninformed to think that this will work, i can't blame them.

Edit: Any comparison of your idea to Solar One is not real. They weren't asking, on y/a, whether this was a good idea. They did the research themselves, knew how much utilities would pay for electricity, probably already had signed contracts for utilities to buy the electricity, were aware of where the science was going, and how fast, and had a real good business plan that showed them making money. That's why banks would lend them money. The lack of all that is why you'll find it harder for someone to invest in your project.

Kay Said:

Is the "200-Mile Diet" the best weapon in the Battle Against Climate Change?

We Answered:

It doesn't matter what you grow in your back yard. The majority of oil consumed (in the production and eating of food) comes from transportation. But it isn't as if you could grow every single vegetable, fruit, and meat that you want to consume in your back yard. The ONLY option to combat the burning of fossil fuels is finding other alternative fuel sources that do not pollute the atmosphere.

Jerry Said:

Earth Science HELP! 10 POINTS FIRST ANSWER!?

We Answered:

1.Vaporization
2.White and Smooth
3.Higher temp wind blowing in from ocean
4.Decrease in insolation
5.Increasing Temperature.

Jo Said:

What does all of this mean?

We Answered:

Tokyo and Canada, well it seems like an international misunderstanding.
Don't worry
Japan and Canada are friends and they will find out a solution for any conflict between nations.