The StarLib pretends to be a newspaper.
Then they publish this – encouraging the BAN OF THE CHEAPEST AND MOST EFFICIENT FUEL on planet Earth. Read on…
This is an amazing example of the DFL propensity to push for idiotic legislation just because the end goal sounds nice, in absolute naivety of the subject matter and ignorance of the consequences.
“Zero emissions” is IMPOSSIBLE in Minnesota.
I am an expert on this subject, so I’ll explain.
“new efficiency standards that would see all newly constructed large buildings reach net zero emissions by 2036. That means the structures would consume only as much energy as is produced onsite via energy production tools such as solar panels.”
Note this isn’t even a “goal” of net zero as they usually propose.
This bill would mandate that builders meet a physically impossible requirement.
Let’s focus on the science.
The laws of physics and thermodynamics are absolute.
Those they can’t dispute.
In Minnesota, small buildings (single family homes) can offset the electricity that they must receive from the electrical grid during hot / cold peaks with energy from solar panels ONLY because they have a relatively low conditioned space volume (CSV) to effective sunlight area (ESA) ratio.
Conditioned space volume (CSV) is the measurement of the cubic volume of atmosphere that must be conditioned within the building.
Effective sunlight area (ESA) is the measurement of the area typically capable of receiving sufficient sunlight for nominal photovoltaic consumption (how much Sun light lands there).
Consider this simplified example:
Imagine a 50’x50′ building (2500 ft²) with typical 8 ft tall ceiling
Conditioned space volume = 2500 x 8 = 20000 ft³
Effective sunlight area = 2500 ft²
CSV/ESA ratio = 8
In other words, each square foot of solar panel must produce enough electricity to condition 8 cubic feet of air inside the building.
Now lets make that same building 4 stories tall (as this “report” and legislation proposes this mandate for all residential buildings 4 stories and taller).
ESA remains 2500 ft²
CSV = 20000 x 4 = 80000 ft³
CSV/ESA ratio = 32
Now each square foot of solar panel must produce enough electricity to condition 32 cubic feet of air inside the building.
Is that possible? Nope.
Have you ever wondered why no one in Minnesota has electric heat for primary heat source?
Even when electricity was cheap and abundant, it was much more expensive than gas.
In fact, pure electric heat is the most wasteful use of electricity in the world.
So we created heat pumps (basically air conditioners that work backwards) which utilize chemical refrigerants under pressure to transfer heat.
They’ve gotten very good in the last few years, and they work down to about 0 degrees now.
Below that, they are horribly ineffective and inefficient.
There is only so much heat you can pull out of the air and push inside with refrigerants when it’s below zero outside.
They work great year round in Texas, but we’re not in Texas; This is Minnesota.
I’ve designed large systems utilizing government subsidized Tesla solar panels powering the highest efficiency heat pumps, and they all need to use pure electric heaters (basically a toaster) when the temp dips below zero because that’s the only technology in the world that works well enough (aside from a gas fired furnace.)
And that electric heat costs 5 TIMES MORE than gas.
Bottom line – the most cost effective solution is to use a heat pump system down to about 20 degrees outdoor temp, then switch to gas fired furnace in cold weather.
And if you don’t have a gas furnace in Minnesota, you’re going to be using 5x more electricity, which solar panels cannot possibly provide – and that’s especially true if your building is more than 2 stories tall, because the sun only provides a certain amount of energy per square foot.
It was at that moment that the mathematically challenged social justice warriors realized they fucked up.
Laws of physics proves that this is another DFL bill that is truly rainbow unicorn farts.
They have NO idea what they’re proposing.
Or maybe they do?
Browsing the actual “report” (click here) this appears to be the most woke (read: racist), politically motivated “report” that I’ve seen in my entire life.
Some snippets:
Re-read that. Again.
“Intentional inclusion strategies for the construction and design industries, ensuring opportunities are targeted to Black, Indigenous, people of color, and women entrepreneurs and workforce.”
I’m old enough to remember when everyone agreed that publicly announcing you’re excluding entire races of people from consideration for a job is racist, immoral, illegal.
Now half the country celebrates it and demands to teach your children that it’s a good thing.😟
Racism is the coolest – look, even President Unity is doing it!
God help us.
If you don’t realize that is promoting racism, you are the problem with this country.
