Solar power more costly than nuclear

A Monday letter writer “corrected” errors he previously made in the relative capital costs of solar and nuclear power. Unfortunately, he compares the peak power output of solar versus the average power output of nuclear.

In the Seattle area, solar panels have a yearly average output of 15 percent of their peak output. On the other hand, the average availability of nuclear power is on the order of 90 percent. Thus, using the writer’s own cost numbers of $10 per watt for nuclear power and $6 per peak watt for solar power, the installed cost of solar energy in the Northwest is at a minimum 3.6 times the cost of nuclear power.

In addition, solar energy availability peaks in the middle of the day, but electrical power demand typically peaks in the morning and evening. Since there is no practical way to store electricity, alternative sources of power would be needed to supplement solar power at these times and the costs of these sources should be accounted for in the effective cost of solar power.

James C. Hartl

Snohomish