FCOE reveals truth about *renewables*

The majority of the media take it for granted that the so-called “renewables” are the most environmentally friendly type of energy. After all, they don”t expel any poisonous fumes. They”re also affordable because the sun and wind are free. However when the full cost of electricity (FCOE) i.e., the cumulative expenses of the entire supply chain is included, wind and solar power are in fact more expensive than fossil fuels.

The article, “Full Cost of Electricity (FCOE) and Energy Returns (eROI),” published in the Canadian Centre of Science and Education”s Journal of Management and Sustainability by Lars Schernikau, William Hayden-Smith, and Rosemary Falcon, makes the case that Full Cost of Electricity (FCOE) must guide energy policy to realize the goals of affordability, supply security, and environmental protection.

The levelized cost of power (LCOE) (often used by “renewable” energy lobbyists) is a false metric since it only takes into account the expenses of construction, fuel, and operation. FCOE, in contrast, accounts for all expenses associated with renewable energy production from mining, building materials, fabrication, manufacturing,transportation, and CO2 emissions Fossil fuel is indispensable for every step in the chain of manufacturing processes of the so-called “green machines” i.e., wind turbines, solar panels, and storage batteries.

Extraction of Lithium and other minerals from massive excavations of rock; wind and solar power are unreliable for mining operations. Transportation of minerals to the locations where the “green machines” i.e., wind turbines, solar panels, and storage batteries are produced, also requires the usage of fossil fuels. The turbines themselves are made of plastic, derived from fossil fuel hydrocarbon. The manufacture of solar panels requires high temperature coal-fired plants (since most solar panels are fabricated in China) to produce silicon ingots.

Aluminum must also be mined – used for frames to house the solar cells, encapsulants, glass sheets and so on.There are expenses for operation and maintenance.According to research, onshore wind and solar are roughly as expensive as coal, but offshore wind is much more expensive.There is also the expense of stabilizing the power grid, a particularly challenging operation given the intermittent nature of wind and solar power.

Excess solar and wind energy must be stored for use on days without wind or sunlight, with batteries, which necessitate extraction and transportation of enormous amounts of minerals using fossil fuels. Wind and solar energy need backup from fossil fuels and/or nuclear energy to cater for insufficient storage capacity.

The utilization of backup decreases as the proportion of wind and solar energy rises, since expensive but required backup will be idle for an increasing percentage of the time. Add to this list massive subsidies in the form of tax credits and augmented by government sponsored R&D.

Emissions cost – the CO2 emissions from fossil fuels used for mining, transportation, and manufacturing green machines (wind turbines, solar panels) must also be factored in.

According to the report, neither wind blades nor solar panels can be recycled. The spent batteries are a great environmental hazard caused by leakage of toxic chemicals. Wind farms and solar panels only last for about 20 years or so. The term “renewables” can hardly be justified. The term fossil fuel dependent “re-buildables” is more appropriate.