Electric Propulsion Reality Check

pianotuna wrote:
Bobbo,

Last time I looked nearly all buildings had roofs. While an office tower won't get much--yet it will get some energy.

Bobbo wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Why do you believe that solar generated power has to include hundreds of miles of transmission lines?

Because I can't foresee acres of solar panels in downtown Los Angeles.

Yes, but we are talking about industrial size power generation for city size consumption. You aren't going to get that much power from a few rooftop panels. Think of a 10 story apartment building with solar panels on the roof. Do you really think the rooftop panels will power that 10 story building? Really? We are needing to generate power on the scale of a coal fired plant or a nuclear plant or a dam. You won't get even 0.01% of that power from rooftop panels in a city, especially if building up 5, 10, or 15 stories.

Second point: do you really think the slum lords are going to retro-fit solar panels on all of their properties? We can't even get them to fix the plumbing and air conditioning in them.

The theoretical "pie-in-the-sky" theories are great. However, the practical problems of trying to achieve the "pie-in-the-sky" results can be overwhelming. Suggest that Los Angeles (or the state of California) mandate that EVERY BUILDING in Los Angeles have its rooftop covered in solar panels and see what result you get. However, that is exactly what you need to even get 0.1% of the power that city uses. Even with that utopian concept, 99.9% of the power that Los Angeles needs has to come hundreds of miles over transmission lines from solar farms.

You have to think practically, not Social Justice Warrior concepts.