Cyprus-Forum.com

[cyprusgrump]

Since everyone has to reduce emissions, some countries have to be seen to be supporting these innovations such as the car of this thread or solar energy where it's efficient. Solar should be very efficient in Cyprus as it is in Israel etc.

As for subsidies:
In the UK, the one person I know who has Solar energy bought the equipment VAT free as far as I recall but without a government grant.

The two people I know in Cyprus also did not receive any grants or subsidies. One refused to pay the 4,000 or so euro cost to bring the electricity out of the village to his house and spent the money on moving over to Solar instead. The other did it for fun as a project and again did not receive any grants.

Personally, I do believe the government should be spending on research to make sustainable energy cost-effective - not necessarily on helping individuals as they would be lowering their fuel bills anyway.

Even if Cyprus becomes Energy rich from the Gas/Oil supplies; it's still imperative they invest in using Solar as it would be free for the locals. They will then have more hydrocarbons to sell to those nations who cannot use Solar efficiently.

You missed a bit...

To prove you are not a troll, perhaps you could highlight the post where somebody "insisted solar energy was not the future for Cyprus just because it's not suitable for the UK"...?

You also missed the bit where I said that anybody that has a grid-connected solar system is being subsidised by other users and the taxpayer.

If you choose to go solar to avoid €4,000 to bring electricity to your house you are not grid connected, cannot sell electricity back to the grid and therefore receive no subsidy.

It is amazing how you manage to twist and turn and avoid questions to try and make your points...

[GreekIslandGirl]

You seem obsessed with selling electricity back to the grid. And using the UK as an example for Cyprus when the sun-hours for the two countries are so different!

Show me an example of 10 cells in the UK providing a house with electricity and selling excess back to the grid....

I'm not the one who cares whether moving over to solar as an individual makes you money or not via selling to the grid. Fine if that's what can be done but that is not the prime objective. I'm talking about self-sufficiency and sustainability.

[cyprusgrump]

You seem obsessed with selling electricity back to the grid. And using the UK as an example for Cyprus when the sun-hours for the two countries are so different!

Show me an example of 10 cells in the UK providing a house with electricity and selling excess back to the grid....

I'm not the one who cares whether moving over to solar as an individual makes you money or not via selling to the grid. Fine if that's what can be done but that is not the prime objective. I'm talking about self-sufficiency and sustainability.

No obsessed at all...

You claimed that every house in Cyprus could supply all their energy needs using solar panels - I pointed out that this simply isn't the case - no matter how sunny it is.

And it certainly isn't the case in the UK however much you would like it to be because there simply isn't enough sunshine.

The subsidy thing was explaining to you that the only reason that people install solar either in their own homes or in big arrays at the side of the roads here is because they receive a subsidy from the taxpayer and other users for the energy that they produce. There is simply no other reason (unless you can not get a grid connection) that people do so...

Subsidies simply (as was explained to you earlier) destroy the industries they are supposed to support.

By the way, you still missed a bit...

To prove you are not a troll, perhaps you could highlight the post where somebody "insisted solar energy was not the future for Cyprus just because it's not suitable for the UK"...?

[GreekIslandGirl]

CG - my statement was a distillation of what you have been saying. And the stem quote I have used further above. The point (UK being less amenable to Solar) of which you have once again raised above. What is right for Cyprus may not be right for UK.

We fundamentally disagree. Every home in Cyprus could be self-sufficient using solar. And, I'm not interested in the politics of "subsidies" - which as you say may well be there to make the companies unfavorable; probably through the begrudging we see by people such as yourself who do not seem to believe our future lies in funding research to make Solar more and more efficient.

[GreekIslandGirl]

Dynamic market, low prices
Germany is set benefit as solar energy costs drop. Five years ago, power from solar panels in Germany cost between 40 euro cents ($0.50) and 50 euro cents per kilowatt hour, and about 30 euro cents in regions with more sunshine. Today, solar energy costs less than half that amount. Southern Europe produces solar power for less than 10 euro cents.
Solar energy cheaper than coal
According to predictions by leading experts, prices for producing solar power will continue to decrease. "One can safely assume costs for solar energy will drop by one third until 2020," said Philippe Welter, analyst and editor of the magazine Photon, which focuses on solar issues.
According to this, prices for solar energy from small-scale plants in Germany could fall to eight euro cents. Energy produced by big-scale plants in South Europe to four to five euro cents. This would make solar energy even cheaper than coal.

http://www.dw.de/germany-charges-ahead- ... a-16383531

[cyprusgrump]

CG - my statement was a distillation of what you have been saying. And the stem quote I have used further above. The point (UK being less amenable to Solar) of which you have once again raised above. What is right for Cyprus may not be right for UK.

We fundamentally disagree. Every home in Cyprus could be self-sufficient using solar. And, I'm not interested in the politics of "subsidies" - which as you say may well be there to make the companies unfavorable; probably through the begrudging we see by people such as yourself who do not seem to believe our future lies in funding research to make Solar more and more efficient.

So you now agree that I didn't say that at all then...?

Just another claim that you plucked out of thin air and are now unable to substantiate...

Like your claim that "Every home in Cyprus could be self-sufficient using solar" which is plainly and clearly untrue...

[GreekIslandGirl]

That is what you said. But you quoted me. I didn't quote you - I was paraphrasing what the discussion generated. You really should lighten up.

You are so wrong, though!

[cyprusgrump]

Dynamic market, low prices
Germany is set benefit as solar energy costs drop. Five years ago, power from solar panels in Germany cost between 40 euro cents ($0.50) and 50 euro cents per kilowatt hour, and about 30 euro cents in regions with more sunshine. Today, solar energy costs less than half that amount. Southern Europe produces solar power for less than 10 euro cents.
Solar energy cheaper than coal
According to predictions by leading experts, prices for producing solar power will continue to decrease. "One can safely assume costs for solar energy will drop by one third until 2020," said Philippe Welter, analyst and editor of the magazine Photon, which focuses on solar issues.
According to this, prices for solar energy from small-scale plants in Germany could fall to eight euro cents. Energy produced by big-scale plants in South Europe to four to five euro cents. This would make solar energy even cheaper than coal.

http://www.dw.de/germany-charges-ahead- ... a-16383531

Yes, the news is so good they are closing down all their coal-fired power stations!

No wait, Germany is in fact building dozens of coal fired power stations because their renewable s are sop unreliable and they have to import vast amounts of electricity when the wind isn't blowing or the sun shining!

[cyprusgrump]

That is what you said. But you quoted me. I didn't quote you - I was paraphrasing what the discussion generated. You really should lighten up.

You are so wrong, though!

But I didn't say it in any way shape or form - ever!

You are just trying to wiggle out of it because you are unable to substantiate your claim...

If I had said it you would surely have reproduced the quote or quotations as proof.

As I didn't say it you can't...

[GreekIslandGirl]

Yes you did and you repeated it. I never used quotes so I did not claim those were your exact words. Your point is still the same even above. We're back to you thinking that just because it's more difficult for the UK and Germany, that it's impossible for Cyprus!

The fact is that Solar will produce electricity more cheaply than coal, EVEN in a place like Germany, let alone a Southern European country like Cyprus.

Have you not understood the article at all?