Wind, Solar, the Mighty Boiling Kettle (Nuclear) — and the Smoky Shadow (Coal)
Three ways to make electrons behave — plus the fourth culprit that hides in the distance. Push a giant fan (wind), rattle electrons with sunshine (solar), boil water with hot minerals (nuclear)… and burn black rocks (coal) while pretending it’s still 1910.
We can mass‑manufacture wind & solar at world scale. Nuclear is the opposite of “printable,” but rock‑steady. Coal is the smoky shadow boss we’re trying to retire.
- Solar: tiny shiny rectangles shipped by the container. Photons go in, bills go down.
- Wind: elegant sky‑mixers (15–18.5 MW offshore giants). Build many in parallel; electrons surf home on HVDC.
- Nuclear: a glorious, bespoke 24/7 kettle. Pricey, slow to build, but very steady.
- Coal: the lurker. Hides behind the debate, makes the air spicy, and sends you the health bill later.
How they make electricity
- 🌬️ Wind: Air pushes big blades → slow rotor torque → (gearbox/direct‑drive) → generator → electrons.
- 🌞 Solar PV: Sunlight knocks electrons loose in silicon → DC → inverter → AC grid. No steam. No spin. No drama.
- ☢️ Nuclear: Fission heats water → steam → high‑speed turbine → generator → electrons. A very fancy tea kettle.
- 🪨 Coal: Burn rocks → steam → turbine → generator. Also: soot, CO₂, and those “please ignore the plume” vibes.
Sizes & vibes
Offshore wind machines are 15–18.5 MW, rotors 236–285 m across, blades 115–140 m each—tip heights around 350 m. Turbines ate your Ferris wheel for breakfast.
One large nuclear unit is ~1–1.6 GW—roughly 70–100 offshore turbines by nameplate. Coal units vary (hundreds of MW to 1 GW+), but come with health and climate baggage.
Stats at a glance (US‑centric where noted)
| Thing we care about | Solar | Wind | Nuclear | Coal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed to scale | 🏃 Very fast | 🏃 Fast (offshore = logistics) | 🐢 Slow & bespoke | 🕳️ Stuck in the past |
| 24/7 output | Needs storage/backup | Needs storage/backup | Excellent | Steady—but dirty |
| Land/sea footprint | ~5–7 acres per MW (utility PV) | Large sea area, small seabed per turbine | Compact site, big buffers | Compact plant; large upstream mining/ash footprint |
| Comedy value | ✨ Tiles that make money when sunny | 🌀 Skyscraper fans go brrr | 🫖 Billion‑dollar kettle (do not touch) | 💨 “Nothing to see here” (cough) |
Buy firm 24/7 the old way, pay a lot; overbuild + batteries is often cheaper—and cleaner
New‑build nuclear gives true 24/7, but recent US costs run about $138–$222/MWh. Coal’s sticker price looks lower at $67–$179—until you price carbon (then $108–$249) and remember the health tab. Meanwhile, utility solar is $38–$78, onshore wind $37–$86, and solar + 4‑hour batteries $50–$131 unsubsidized. Translation: you can overbuild PV and wind, add batteries, and still often land below the “always‑on” kettle’s price—without the smoke.
Notes: Ranges are unsubsidized US estimates; site & financing matter. Storage figure is a common 4‑hour utility configuration; longer duration costs more but keeps improving.
Gift‑a‑Panel (4–6 panels) + LiFePO₄: boxes → homes → microgrids
What a 4–6 panel kit delivers
- Kit size: 4–6 modern modules @ 550–600 W each → ~2.2–3.6 kW DC.
- Daily energy (typical sites): ~4–6 peak‑sun‑hours/day → ~9–22 kWh/day.
- That covers: lights, devices, fridge/freezer, modem/TV, fans, well pump, and a surprising slice of EV or e‑bike charging—especially with daytime‑heavy use.
Why LiFePO₄ (LFP) batteries
- Safety: inherently more thermally stable vs. many cobalt‑rich chemistries.
- Longevity: designed for thousands of cycles (great for daily charge/discharge).
- Value: excellent $/kWh for stationary storage; simple to scale from home boxes (e.g., 5–10 kWh) to communal hubs (100s of kWh).
Containers → communities (standard vs. plastic/frameless)
| 40‑ft container payload | Panels per box | PV per box (600 W) | Homes served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard aluminum‑framed (typical palletized) | ~720 modules | ~432 kW DC | 4‑panel kits: ~180 homes • 6‑panel kits: ~120 homes |
| Plastic/frameless ultra‑light (thinner pack, same floor area) | ~1,150–1,400 modules (~1.6×–2.0×) | ~690–840 kW DC | 4‑panel kits: ~290–350 homes • 6‑panel kits: ~190–233 homes |
Why the range? With thinner modules and reduced spacer/pallet height, volume (not weight) usually limits. Real‑world counts depend on the exact module dimensions, carton thickness, pallets vs. slip‑sheets, and local handling rules.
Tiny builders’ BOM (baby‑easy)
- 4–6 PV modules + rails/clamps (or adhesive for ultra‑light panels where appropriate)
- Microinverter(s) or small string inverter; rapid‑shutdown hardware
- LiFePO₄ battery box (5–10 kWh) with BMS + gateway
- Code‑compliant wiring, disconnects, overcurrent protection, grounding
The 1‑Terawatt Plan (factory‑swarm edition)
Instead of one mega‑project, unleash many small wins fast:
- Clone factories: Cells → modules; towers → nacelles; blades; monopiles; inverters; cables. A few more factories ≈ a lot more output. Make the line the product.
- Ports & pads: Three roles per region—staging, pre‑assembly, load‑out. Keep vessels cycling; keep rooftops & fields stocked.
- Containerized PV: Ship GW in boxes. Stagger arrivals to match local crews; avoid storage‑yard purgatory.
- Local “micro‑EPCs”: Train neighborhood crews to bolt modules, drop microinverters, commission safely. Tiny builders’ joy.
- Storage where it matters: Utility LFP hubs (4–8h) at substations; home batteries where roofs are timid; pumped hydro/geothermal where geology is kind.
Bottom line: Wind + Solar scale horizontally. You don’t wait for a single ribbon‑cutting in 2035; you cut a hundred ribbons next quarter.
Grid, storage, transmission
- Storage: Multi‑hour LFP batteries cost far less than a decade ago and keep dropping. Put them where firmness is actually needed.
- Transmission: HVDC from sunny/windy places to cities. Think of it as the runway where electrons strut.
- Firm friends: Keep/modernize low‑carbon firm (hydro, geothermal, existing nuclear) where it pencils, while the factory‑swarm carpets the map.
Coal: the smoky shadow boss
Coal plants love when wind, solar, and nuclear argue; they slip behind the curtains and sell you kilowatt‑hours with a side of PM2.5. Emissions are the highest of the bunch, and the health damages are very real. We retire coal fastest by blanketing the map with solar + wind, adding LFP batteries, and building transmission—plus efficiency, obviously. (And cookies. For your neighbors.)
Who wins?
- Fast, modular buildout: Solar + Wind (tie). Factory‑friendly, container‑compatible.
- Round‑the‑clock power: Nuclear (physics win) — pricey (wallet loss).
- Cost today (new builds): Solar & Onshore Wind; Offshore Wind improving; Nuclear high; Coal looks cheaper until you price carbon and health.
- Joy of building: Tiny builders with 4–6 panel kits & LFP batteries. Ramen for the soul; electrons for the grid.
Lightning round
“Is nuclear a total joke?” No. It’s built for reliability and density, not speed. Great uptime, slow rollout, high capex. Two things can be true.
“Can we just gift wafers on plastic?” We can gift ultra‑light or frameless modules that mount fast (adhesive/clamps). Wafers alone aren’t plug‑ready—the module + inverter + protection gear make it safe & useful.
“4–6 panels = whole‑home?” A 4–6 panel kit (~2.2–3.6 kW) delivers ~9–22 kWh/day in many places—enough for core loads and some EV/e‑bike charge. Whole‑home + big EV life usually needs more panels plus a battery. Still baby‑easy—just add boxes.
“Why LFP batteries?” Safer thermal behavior, long life (thousands of cycles), solid value. Perfect for mass‑gift programs and community microgrids—installed to code, of course.
“Why not keep coal for reliability?” Because it’s the dirtiest and most dangerous per TWh among mainstream sources, and the health costs are enormous. Reliability we can get from storage + smarter grids—and firm low‑carbon where it pencils.
Sources & further reading
- Lazard LCOE+ v18.0 (June 2025) — tech‑by‑tech LCOE ranges; fuel‑price & carbon‑price sensitivities. Overview
- US EIA capacity factors (final 2023): tables for fossil (coal) and non‑fossil (nuclear, wind, solar). Table 4.8.A • Table 4.8.B
- SEIA: utility‑scale PV land use ~5–7 acres/MW. seia.org
- Offshore wind typical capacity factors ~40–50%+. IEA Offshore Wind Outlook
- PV packaging per 40‑ft container (typical ≈720 panels; model‑dependent). Manufacturer datasheets (Trina/JA). Thin/frameless packing increases counts but depends on cartons & palletization.
- On LFP safety & longevity (general): public manufacturer docs and utility‑scale deployments; specifics vary by product—install to local code.
Notes: LCOE ranges are unsubsidized unless noted; site & capital stack matter. Storage example is 4‑hour utility scale. Container counts vary by module size, packaging, and pallet rules. Gifting PV/LFP is delightful; please also gift wiring, protection, and training.