{"id":400257,"date":"2025-09-05T12:00:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T10:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=400257"},"modified":"2025-09-05T12:00:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T10:00:10","slug":"why-dislike-solar-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=400257","title":{"rendered":"Why Dislike Solar\u00a0Power"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"723\" data-attachment-id=\"400272\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=400272\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?fit=1280%2C1280&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1280,1280\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA (1)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?fit=723%2C723&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=723%2C723&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Aerial view of a large solar farm with extensive rows of solar panels set on green grass, surrounded by trees and clear blue sky.\" class=\"wp-image-400272\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=1200%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=450%2C450&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=60%2C60&amp;ssl=1 60w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?resize=550%2C550&amp;ssl=1 550w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From <a href=\"https:\/\/rclutz.com\/2025\/09\/04\/why-dislike-solar-power\/\">Science Matters<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/rclutz.com\/author\/ronaldrc\/\">Ron Clutz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Post on X by Chris Martz. In italics with my bolds and added images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Why do I dislike solar so much?<br><br>Because solar farms are a giant waste of land and natural resources.<br><br>Let\u2019s do some math.<br><br>A single 1,000-megawatt (MWe) nuclear reactor occupies ~1 mi\u00b2 (640 acres) of land. Nuclear also has a capacity factor of 0.923, meaning a reactor will\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5N1gzJmPwN\">https:\/\/t.co\/5N1gzJmPwN<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/B8kr34RKKQ\">pic.twitter.com\/B8kr34RKKQ<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Chris Martz (@ChrisMartzWX) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChrisMartzWX\/status\/1963307825079488665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 3, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Why do I dislike solar so much?&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Because solar farms are a giant waste of land and natural resources.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s do some math.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"589\" height=\"715\" data-attachment-id=\"400262\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=400262\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-88.png?fit=589%2C715&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"589,715\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-88.png?fit=589%2C715&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-88.png?resize=589%2C715&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Map showing Albany, New York, highlighted in yellow, along with nearby areas and landmarks such as the Indian Point Energy Center and Long Island Sound.\" class=\"wp-image-400262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-88.png?w=589&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-88.png?resize=247%2C300&amp;ssl=1 247w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 589px) 100vw, 589px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">To replace now closed Indian Point nuclear power plant would<br>require covering Albany county with solar panels.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A single 1,000-megawatt (MWe) nuclear reactor occupies ~1 mi\u00b2 (640 acres) of land. Nuclear also has a capacity factor of 0.923, meaning a reactor will generate ~92.3% of the maximum theoretical amount of electrical energy in a year that it could have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/energy.gov\/ne\/articles\/what-generation-capacity\">https:\/\/energy.gov\/ne\/articles\/what-generation-capacity<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thus, a 1,000-MWe reactor will produce ~8.08 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity per year, enough to power over 770,000 homes throughout the course of a year (assuming Americans purchase an average of 10.5 MWh per household per year).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><em>= [1,000 MW \u00d7 (24 hours \/ day) \u00d7 (365 days \/ year) \u00d7 0.923] \/ 10.5 MWh \u2248 770,046 homes On the contrary, a solar photovoltaic&nbsp;<strong>(PV) farm requires 5-10 acres per MW<\/strong>&nbsp;(we\u2019ll assume an average of 7.5)&nbsp;<strong>Solar PV has a capacity factor of 0.234<\/strong>. Thus,&nbsp;<strong>a 1,000-MWe solar farm occupies ~7,500 acres of land,<\/strong>&nbsp;but it would only<strong>&nbsp;power ~195,223 homes<\/strong>&nbsp;assuming, once again, Americans purchase 10.5 MWh of electricity per year, on average.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>= [1,000 MW \u00d7 (24 hours \/ day) \u00d7 (365 days \/ year) \u00d7 0.234] \/ 10.5 MWh \u2248 195,223 homes So, you\u2019d&nbsp;<strong>need ~4,000 MWe of installed solar capacity to power<\/strong>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<strong>same&nbsp;<\/strong>number of<strong>&nbsp;homes as a single 1,000 MWe nuclear power station<\/strong>,<strong>&nbsp;and ~46.2\u00d7 the land area,<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>not including<\/strong>&nbsp;the land required for enough&nbsp;<strong>battery storage<\/strong>. But, it gets even worse if you factor the battery storage required.&nbsp;<strong>Solar PV\u2019s average output is 234 MW.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>= 1,000 MW \u00d7 0.234 = 234 MW per hour OR 5,616 MWh per day OR&nbsp;<strong>39,312 MWh per week For a week\u2019s worth of battery backup<\/strong>, it would require&nbsp;<strong>an additional 23,587.2 acres of land (assuming battery storage requires 0.6 acres \/<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Rooftop solar is fine.<\/strong>&nbsp;Installing it on the roofs of homes, stores, warehouses, etc.&nbsp;<strong>can be useful. But, doing this is not.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"406\" data-attachment-id=\"400265\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=400265\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-89.png?fit=900%2C506&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"900,506\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-89.png?fit=723%2C406&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-89.png?resize=723%2C406&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Aerial view of a large solar farm featuring rows of solar panels spread across expansive land.\" class=\"wp-image-400265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-89.png?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-89.png?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-89.png?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"483\" data-attachment-id=\"400266\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=400266\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-90.png?fit=970%2C648&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"970,648\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-90.png?fit=723%2C483&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-90.png?resize=723%2C483&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A person walking in front of snow-covered solar panels in a winter landscape.\" class=\"wp-image-400266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-90.png?w=970&amp;ssl=1 970w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-90.png?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-90.png?resize=768%2C513&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Snow covered solar panels at University of MIchigan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See Also<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-science-matters wp-block-embed-science-matters\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"HHMlPQrtqE\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rclutz.com\/2023\/01\/09\/southwestern-solar-bright-shining-disappointment\/\">Southwestern Solar: Bright Shining&nbsp;Disappointment<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Southwestern Solar: Bright Shining&nbsp;Disappointment&#8221; &#8212; Science Matters\" src=\"https:\/\/rclutz.com\/2023\/01\/09\/southwestern-solar-bright-shining-disappointment\/embed\/#?secret=Dk3TGRFIA2#?secret=HHMlPQrtqE\" data-secret=\"HHMlPQrtqE\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"525\" height=\"388\" data-attachment-id=\"400269\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=400269\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-92.png?fit=525%2C388&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"525,388\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-92.png?fit=525%2C388&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-92.png?resize=525%2C388&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Map showing the locations of solar farms around the world, marked with red dots over a geographic representation.\" class=\"wp-image-400269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-92.png?w=525&amp;ssl=1 525w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-92.png?resize=300%2C222&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Because solar farms are a giant waste of land and natural resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":400272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"Discover why solar farms waste land and resources compared to nuclear power in this insightful article by Ron Clutz. Learn the math behind it.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Why Solar Farms Waste Land: An Insightful Analysis","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-400257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOPJyRtntuQ7Nml4NCCDu-jY1KkjFY21hY5Ejs9YRJu1o_hVZPI5p5LSIsNFijT5hGpjK9E1pA6e3xaCP_NR39V74gVeDtNbeBSfGWXTvhLqjJBUccweEDL8ygIu2hdg-aIUcBkyC1-ejCh-xq9BatVWCfDpA-1.jpeg?fit=1280%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1G7L","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":423251,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=423251","url_meta":{"origin":400257,"position":0},"title":"Another Exit: Ultra Low Carbon Solar Alliance","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/26\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Ultra Low-Carbon Solar Alliance (ULCSA) was a coalition of solar PV companies, manufacturers, and stakeholders focused on promoting and deploying solar panels with significantly lower carbon footprints- particularly highlighting differences in manufacturing emissions.","rel":"","context":"In \"China\"","block_context":{"text":"China","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=china"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":285011,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=285011","url_meta":{"origin":400257,"position":1},"title":"Strange anomaly in sun&#8217;s solar cycle discovered in centuries-old texts from Korea","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/25\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The presence of grand minima, characterized by significantly reduced solar and stellar activity, brings a challenge to the understanding of solar and stellar dynamo. The Maunder Minimum (1645\u20131715 AD) is a representative grand solar minimum. The cyclic variation of solar activity, especially the cycle length during this period, is critical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Grand Solar Minimum\"","block_context":{"text":"Grand Solar Minimum","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=grand-solar-minimum"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00slide3-l.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00slide3-l.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00slide3-l.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/00slide3-l.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":285625,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=285625","url_meta":{"origin":400257,"position":2},"title":"NOAA Predicts a Quicker, Stronger Solar\u00a0Max","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/29\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Since the Solar Cycle was discovered over 180 years ago, its progression has been monitored by counting the number of sunspots and sunspot groups visible (through a solar telescope) on the solar surface each day.\u00a0Solar cycle 25 is\u00a0the current solar cycle,\u00a0the 25th since 1755, when extensive recording of solar sunspot\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"NOAA\"","block_context":{"text":"NOAA","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=noaa"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0cycle_update.png?fit=1200%2C609&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0cycle_update.png?fit=1200%2C609&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0cycle_update.png?fit=1200%2C609&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0cycle_update.png?fit=1200%2C609&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0cycle_update.png?fit=1200%2C609&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":289956,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=289956","url_meta":{"origin":400257,"position":3},"title":"The Sun&#8217;s Rampant Activity Is Likely to Peak Really, Really Soon: Study","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/04\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Sun is approaching its solar maximum, the apex of its 11-year solar cycle. As it approaches that, as we\u2019ve already seen over the last couple of years, we can expect more and greater activity from our solar system\u2019s center. But that\u2019s the thing, this solar-cycle might be far more\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"NASA\"","block_context":{"text":"NASA","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=nasa"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0bf6a87f8ec134d6266733ef657a06c2d.jpeg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0bf6a87f8ec134d6266733ef657a06c2d.jpeg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0bf6a87f8ec134d6266733ef657a06c2d.jpeg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0bf6a87f8ec134d6266733ef657a06c2d.jpeg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0bf6a87f8ec134d6266733ef657a06c2d.jpeg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":396714,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=396714","url_meta":{"origin":400257,"position":4},"title":"Solar Bankruptcies: The New Normal","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/21\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cNever again; let the free market choose winners and let government not pick losers.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009\"","block_context":{"text":"American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act-of-2009"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQPtHI5FXoB5ezGiElJAXLJvmqwVpasxAXRJZzpjfTmlS1nsPuP7LkMO6cv4Cp0ReQaM7nm3FhEi2K2Xmuhep4C0aaS0GcVFKgf1uNOJBU_yNjjFrQCaSfXa1658DCmMPiBblDscm8uiZZQZRm9wyRpEAoIwhQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":252773,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=252773","url_meta":{"origin":400257,"position":5},"title":"Solar Max Might Arrive Early","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/14\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Solar Maximum is coming\u2013maybe this year. New research by a leading group of solar physicists predicts maximum sunspot activity in late 2023 or early 2024, a full year earlier than\u00a0other forecasts.","rel":"","context":"In \"polar magnetic fields\"","block_context":{"text":"polar magnetic fields","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=polar-magnetic-fields"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/00solar-minimum-solar-maximum-comparison.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/00solar-minimum-solar-maximum-comparison.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/00solar-minimum-solar-maximum-comparison.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/00solar-minimum-solar-maximum-comparison.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/00solar-minimum-solar-maximum-comparison.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=400257"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":400273,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400257\/revisions\/400273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/400272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=400257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=400257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=400257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}