For starters, it not hard to imagine with increasing energy density of battery storage, that electric vehicles will increasingly push forward. I'd offer part of this coming from many paper cuts in R&D in terms of new technologies both in solar and battery related products. Increasing efficiency of power generation by solar technologies appear assured, and likewise, similarly energy storage appears similarly on track. What remains is the scale conversion of industries and greater widespread adoption of technology. Increasingly, the cost of electric cars declining will pressure markets further. Energy density and rapid charging solutions are presently available, providing a distinction that makes consumer resistance less likely.
The good news is that increasingly energy markets are looking forward not only to lower cost but declining carbon footprints that represent in time a scale transformation in our country's use of energy. The implications are increasingly positive either for those looking for energy solutions either in grid or off grid networks. That leads increasingly beyond our borders to a world more likely providing energy to those neither having access to energy infrastructure in networks, and closing further gaps between haves and have nots while simultaneously addressing some issues around climate change with increasing energy demands.
Here are some added thoughts with respect to energy production as it relates to solar energy in a US national context:
One can find total energy use at EIA.gov publication
In the US in April 2020, there was a total net energy production of 274,876 Gigawatt hours produced. Note 1000 Megawatt hours equals 1 Gigawatt hours. Publication table uses 1000 Megawatt hours so interchangeable is Gigawatt hours and unit described. I'll stick with 1 Gigawatt hours to keep the scale units as related to publication numbers.
Per acreage to solar energy production relates (ideally and on average) at 2.9 acre /Gigawatt hours/yr or .02873563218 Gigawatt hour / (acre month). That is inverting the unit dividing this by 12 months for unit conversion.
How many acres would be necessary, at present, to meet the energy production in April 2020?
274,876 Gigawatt hours = x (acres) * .02873563218 Gigawatt / (acre month)
Solving yields
9,565,684.8 acres
Fortunately the US has 2.43 billion acres of land in total, so the acreage requirement appears modest. Mostly difficulties in allocating land for solar energy usage likely resides between public and private lands.
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