Let me point out that
you made the comparison to China...and let me also point out that China recognized the fallacy of "unaffordable" renewable energy and is now leading the world in alternate energy production and R&D to make the same ever more efficient & affordable. Environmental laws are needed to prevent calcified thinking from stopping progress towards more sustainable and efficient energy production - and yes they were pretty lax in China, until the airborne particulate count made such oversight an untenetable position.
Go to China or India and talk about air quality in Canada when you come back.
Can you provide examples of manufacturing companies that have access to the grid but choose to go off-grid? Companies that do this without any subsidies/grants. That is pretty awesome if they are able to do this and make a profit. (I'm genuinely interested in this)
This is one of the least imaginative arguments against alternate energy - and I'm a little emabarassed to have to point this out to you, but ok...
Just because the technology currently available doesn't relieve any company of 100% of it's energy consumption does not mean that we aren't getting there quick - numerous companies are a
lready using these techniques to power individual facilities (Google, Microsoft, Intel) and like any technology the more investment and public use the better and more affordable the tech will become...
The argument that "it isn't perfect right now so why bother" is childishly simplistic - computers first did very little and cost a lot, using this train of thought they would still be the size of a motel and could only do basic math - cell phones were for the very rich and had a 10lb handset and only worked in a very small number of locations - cars initially only did 15 mph and had a range of just couple of miles - for that matter the first power distribution grid only covered one town and delivered about 10 watts to each location....
This absurd approach to alternate energy is backwards, unrealistic and runs counter to the entire history of technological development. It's a pipe dream of the conventional power producers to think that this ONE area will not be subject to the same forces of innovation and progress that every other sector is - it's either willful self-delusion or abysmal stupidity.
I don't think you realize the initial cost to implement a geothermal/PV/wind setup... It doesn't make sense for an ordinary Joe to invest $60,000 + to go off-grid for something that takes 20 years to pay off and has a 25 year lifetime if you're lucky... you do realize these systems do not last forever right? and they have regular maintenance that is required. Nobody that has access to the grid is setting up pv panels so they can go off-grid... it makes no economic sense.
Actually I do, I have some experience in both designing and installing alternative energy systems, from residential solar arrays with backup systems to bio-mass conversion units, and geothermal heating/cooling systems to passive air circulation systems based on thermal absorbtion. I have been a part of converting 3 different company's facilities to solar, and I am well aware of the maint costs - and in every instance I am aware of for companies in and around the Research Triangle Park (where I was directly involved) - the conversion to solar/biomass/geothermal systems has been economically beneficial. For several of these companies it has been a matter of converting one or two buildings at a time to be energy independent - for one it's been a matter of testing their own products - but without exception it has been a benefit and the trend is accelerating.
Let me just add that because YOU don't see how it can work doesn't mean that it can't work, it just means that YOU can't see how.