George Jurgensen 01

When Will Solar Achieve Grid Parity? We're Already There!

It doesn't matter when "you say" we need power, the solar plant does not generate power at its rated capacity, but only 1/5 to 1/6 of that amount. I'll concede you may ignore availability and storage issues at this stage. However you should compare actual generation not peak capacities.

When Will Solar Achieve Grid Parity? We're Already There!

The difference is the solar plant will effectively generate at the nameplate capacity an average of 4 hours a day, maybe a bit more mounted on a rotating axis. Coal, Nuclear, and NG plants can operate very close to 24/7/365. Factor in storage costs, backup plant costs etc. to make a fair comparison, and don't forget the environmental costs of those back up supplies.

In short, your comparison compares solar peak output ratings with other plants peak power ratings. You should compare average power output which increases the cost of solar by a factor of 5 or 6. but does not change the cost of the other plants which produce continuously, approximately 101-102 weeks of every 104, and more for NG.

NG plants can also ramp up and down relatively quickly to meet variable demand.