http://www.cougarboard.com/board/message.html?id=17596372

I'm not "calling out" the poster by any means, I'm questioning the video itself.

Specifically it states:

• 2.8 acres of solar panels generates 1 GWh of electricity per year.
• 11,200,000 acres would generate the 4,000,000 GWh we need to power the United States.
• 11,200,000 acres is 17,500 square miles.
• For perspective: 17,500 square miles is 21% of the total land area of Utah.

I ran some quick number of the actual 2015 output of the Topaz Solar Farm and came up with this:

• 4.7 acres of solar panels generates 1 GWh of electricity per year.
• 18,800,000 acres of solar panels would generate the 4,000,000 GWh we need to power the United States.
• 18,800,000 acres is 29,375 square miles.
• For perspective: 29,375 square miles is 35% of the total land area of Utah.

Maybe someone smarter than me can run some better numbers.

I'm guessing the 2.8 acre number from the video is based on a perfect conditions scenario. The 4.7 acre number is what we actually see from realistic conditions.

Also, it seems like any environmental group that advocates for more solar power while also advocating for more land protections is quite hypocritical. Regardless if solar panels take up an area 21% or 35% the size of Utah those are still huge numbers. A solar farm effectively closes off that land and eliminates every other possible use of it. That's not what these environmental groups really want, is it?