Forbes; Booming Pot Industry Is Draining the U.S. Energy Supply

[nevergoodenuf]

If you have a bill over a $1000 a month, you could even buy a junk/junked electric car and register it. That should also get you the same credit.

 

[pop22]

part of the problem is some state states demanding ALL growing be done indoor, apparently putting fences around greenhouses isn't good enough....... and you can't grow in your back yard because god forbid, someone might see or smell it.........

 

[a mongo frog]

Here, the electric car is becaming the sign of an indoor pot grower. The PG&E gives big discounts for them. In some cases paying for the car and still saving hundreds.

These topics might be best for private messaging. No disrespect at all, this is a public forum.

 

[captainmorgan]

Not sure it's been mentioned but but what happened to all power this country used to generate. The USA was a industrial giant producing goods for the world until greedy corporations dreamed up free trade and out sourcing work to exploit cheap labor in poor countries with no regulations. What happen to all the capacity,during this out sourcing period efficiency have risen,seems like we should have surplus energy.

 

[bicit]

Not sure it's been mentioned but but what happened to all power this country used to generate. The USA was a industrial giant producing goods for the world until greedy corporations dreamed up free trade and out sourcing work to exploit cheap labor in poor countries with no regulations. What happen to all the capacity,during this out sourcing period efficiency have risen,seems like we should have surplus energy.

We can have surplus energy. The rub is that we have to burn hydrocarbons in order to get that power in most parts of the country. More load on the power grid means more hydrocarbons are burned for energy. That's the real problem right now.

Not to mention our aging decrepit infrastructure.

 

[ttystikk]

Not sure it's been mentioned but but what happened to all power this country used to generate. The USA was a industrial giant producing goods for the world until greedy corporations dreamed up free trade and out sourcing work to exploit cheap labor in poor countries with no regulations. What happen to all the capacity,during this out sourcing period efficiency have risen,seems like we should have surplus energy.

Even as big industry power users have been leaving the country, many more have come here. Our nation has grown in size so more people use more power. Per capita power usage has continued to climb throughout the entire industrial era. Technology is a massive power consumer; y'all have any idea how much juice a really big server farm uses?!

Everyone now has widescreen televisions, tablets, phones, all of which both use power AND demand a back end infrastructure that uses even more. I can go on if you like, lol

 

[ttystikk]

We can have surplus energy. The rub is that we have to burn hydrocarbons in order to get that power in most parts of the country. More load on the power grid means more hydrocarbons are burned for energy. That's the real problem right now.

Not to mention our aging decrepit infrastructure.

The ONLY reason we'd think we're running out of energy in this country is if we believe the fucking oil and coal lobbies! We have enough natural gas for GENERATIONS! Quit using coal and we can replace it tomorrow! THIS is why the Koch smokers and Duke Energy are so terrified!

Electricity will replace gasoline in our cars, trains, public transportation, heating, power generation because it's cleaner, cheaper on a level playing field (no hidden subsidies) and better; natural gas is the feedstock of choice for fuel cell technology.

Right now I'm working on replacing all other sources of power at a grow facility with natural gas. It will be CHEAPER and more efficient, both at the same time.

 

[pop22]

In 1983, Isaac Asimov present a plan, based on available technology THEN, to produce the ENTIRE world's power using microwave broadcast power from space. He even projected the costs of such a project at 60 billion dollars. Yet to this day, no one suggests such a thing because ( as usual ): no one wants to invest in the infrastructure, and it would provide power TOO CHEAPLY. The oil and coal industries will fight this ( just like they do with wind and solar ) until they've sucked the earth dry!

 

[Isawthelight]

part of the problem is some state states demanding ALL growing be done indoor, apparently putting fences around greenhouses isn't good enough....... and you can't grow in your back yard because god forbid, someone might see or smell it.........

The neighborhood kids may be tempted to become 'rippers' if you grow outdoors.

 

[pop22]

Nah, they're stealing it from their parents, just like they always did, easier to get yelled at than arrested......lol!

The neighborhood kids may be tempted to become 'rippers' if you grow outdoors.

 

[sethimus]

Not sure it's been mentioned but but what happened to all power this country used to generate. The USA was a industrial giant producing goods for the world until greedy corporations dreamed up free trade and out sourcing work to exploit cheap labor in poor countries with no regulations. What happen to all the capacity,during this out sourcing period efficiency have risen,seems like we should have surplus energy.

did the us had the same private use as they have today in these days? it's severaly times more than a typical european household...

 

[Chunky Stool]

Except that Forbes is far from the only source for this information. Pot is not the most energy intensive industry, that's energy production itself- they just use oil instead of electricity.

Hydroelectric is cheap. (gravity)

 

[ttystikk]

Hydroelectric is cheap. (gravity)

But limited. Wind's power is unlimited, but intermittent. These two can work together very well, along with another intermittent power source, solar. For the rest, fuel cells. It need not even be framed methane, natural gas means exactly that and can come from a backyard biodigester. Perhaps not vast amounts, but every little bit helps.

 

[ttystikk]

did the us had the same private use as they have today in these days? it's severaly times more than a typical european household...

The American consumer's average usage has been steadily climbing throughout the history of electric utilities.

 

[VegasWinner]

they might want consider solar power on all those warehouses and there you go. free energy all day long. Buy a Tesla power wall and you are golden. Solar is the future now the present. Solar and LED is the future.

Forbes complaining about OUR dirty habits?!

They have a point. The experienced grow room designer knows that all those lights in a warehouse represent the SECOND largest use of power by the facility, the first being the HVAC system required to keep all those lights from cooking the plants instead of growing them.

I posted this in the LED section specifically because I firmly believe that the new generation of COB LED fixtures will lead to dramatic power savings by those commercial operators who switch.

I also believe there is more to this story than just swapping out lights. This industry has been built on artificially high profit margins and thus is insensitive to the otherwise impractically high costs of standard industry production practices.

The only industry I can think of off the top of my head that uses more electricity than indoor pot production? Aluminum manufacturing; that single 12oz beer can you're holding took the same amount of electricity to produce as running your 60" wide screen television for the whole Superbowl, pregame show included.

We can do better, and with everyone's help on this forum, we will.

shoum

 

[ttystikk]

they might want consider solar power on all those warehouses and there you go. free energy all day long. Buy a Tesla power wall and you are golden. Solar is the future now the present. Solar and LED is the future.


shoum

You only get 2/3 of the power back out of a battery that you put in. Sufficient capacity is extremely expensive and unnecessary; just use the grid for storage! It's even 100% efficient to the customer.

 

[bicit]

they might want consider solar power on all those warehouses and there you go. free energy all day long. Buy a Tesla power wall and you are golden. Solar is the future now the present. Solar and LED is the future.


shoum

Free energy? Not so much, solar still has a price tag associated with it per kwh. There's a ton of factors to consider outside of the purchase of the panels themselves. Check out the solar panel forums out there, it's a bit enlightening.

Not trying to be a negative Nancy, just realistic.

 

[VegasWinner]

Free energy? Not so much, solar still has a price tag associated with it per kwh. There's a ton of factors to consider outside of the purchase of the panels themselves. Check out the solar panel forums out there, it's a bit enlightening.

Not trying to be a negative Nancy, just realistic.

I designed solar systems for residential and commercial facilities,before I retired. thanks for the insight. Solar is still cheaper up front cost. Ths difference is the Utility Company subsidizes the cost, just like cell phone providers subsidize costs for customers. Average cost for a residential cost to the utility Company over $5,000. You pay $0. priceless. The Gas Company will come along behind the Electric Company and subsidize your energy usage with gas systems, and subsidize that too. average solar installation is equal to or less than normal; power install. Approach rhe situation as if you had no power and had to pay for pole, transformer, line, service, and meter. That cost is about $10K. Solar runs about $10K and up. Tesla is going to give away the solar wall just to bankrupt the the electric monopoly. Sunlight is still free last time I checked along with air. I have installed solar on a RV and it collected so much energy, I had to hook up a fan to come on to release excess energy that could not be stored in the four deep cycle marine batteries. Great for camping in th mountains, when that diesel will not start in the cold morning, the batteries warm up the motor and off you go. enjoy.

 

[VegasWinner]

You only get 2/3 of the power back out of a battery that you put in. Sufficient capacity is extremely expensive and unnecessary; just use the grid for storage! It's even 100% efficient to the customer.

actually the pay back is quicker than you realize, and you only store when you are not using. I managed major solar systems and they pay for themselves quickly. cheap to maintain and operate. You just need some engineering background and it is easy. Sun light only hurts your eyes, not your wallet.

 

[VegasWinner]

how about some better choices with the yes and no, without the options on voting. Just YES, or NO. just sayin.