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Solar panels for surveillance but none for affordable power

⁨942⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨sanitation@lemmy.today⁩ to ⁨workreform@lemmy.world⁩

https://lemmy.today/pictrs/image/c082db8a-5fc9-45b8-b16d-239fccd6a94c.jpeg

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Comments

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  • plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Infrastructure?

    It’s a self contained unit, the battery is in the unit, not elsewhere, and it actually saves tearing up roads to run power to these units.

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    • EggInDisguise@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Legit it’s sinking a single pole into the ground that only needs line of sight to the thing it’s keeping an eye on. Total maybe 3sqft of space taken up.

      It’s the cheapest option that has the most freedom of placement.

      As opposed to solar farms which require vast plots of land, power substations to make the power usable by the grid, and a lot more upkeep.

      Gee, I WONDER why so many of them have gone up instead of solar farms…

      Fuck flock and the government but this was a dumb attempt at a gotcha that just doesn’t make sense if you think about if for more than 5 seconds.

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      • plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Conversely though, there is ways to use the same tech to provide cheaper “infrastructure” as well though.

        My city they use them to provide lighted crosswalks and flashing stops signs where they are less noticeable. So to have Flock and NOT those, there’s some axes to grind.

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      • s1ndr0m3@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        As opposed to solar farms which require vast plots of land, power substations to make the power usable by the grid, and a lot more upkeep.

        We already have vast plots of land being taken up by parking lots and buildings. There is a hospital in my area that put solar panels over the parking lot. It is really nice. Your car interior stays cooler. Many buildings have their AC cooling fans on the roof. Solar panels would also shade those and help make them more efficient. All of these areas already have a hookup to the grid. Substation may need to be modified but it isn’t as dramatic as you make it sound. Also everything has upkeep costs, including oil refineries and power plants.

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      • Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Also, solar farms ARE going up.

        There’s about 1,000x as much solar capacity going up every quarter in the US as there is total solar capacity on all flock cameras combined.

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      • Tollana1234567@lemmy.today ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        i wouldnt be surprised if flock is being partially subsidized by the govt. who else has the most gain, leo, politicians, palantir.

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  • Chivera@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Brothers and sisters, there’s free solar panels and batteries with every flock camera!

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    • Th3D3k0y@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Honestly, I brought them up the other day. You know with Halloween coming up, it is a great day to treat myself to a small solar panel and what I assume is a decent battery.

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    • Nemo@slrpnk.net ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Damn you, I didn’t need another new hobby!

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    • gandalf_der_13te@feddit.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      uhh i think these solar panels will be pretty distinct so they’re basically a way to give the police a clear proof that you did it.

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      • HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        What do you mean? I bought these off my junk guy

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      • cloudshouter@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Looks like they are 45watt panels. Pull the out of the frame and put them in your own setup and they will look like any other. There is enough variety in panels that nobody can make a guess from looking at them. Especially without being invasive enough to need a warrant.

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  • Zetta@mander.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I’m all for hating on flock and the government but this is an extremely dumb comparison that doesn’t actually make sense. Flock isn’t the government and the amount of solar generation for their shit cameras is nothing compared to real grid demand

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    • Vandals_handle@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      IIRC majority of cameras are paid for by governments and installed on public lands so the government bit is appropriate. Fun fact, HOA’s are considered governments, although those cameras are on private property.

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    • merc@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Yes. Flock cameras are not power generation infrastructure. A flock system uses what, 5 watts?

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  • Funkt4st1c@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    1. shut off cameras
    2. redirect panels to infrastructure
    3. ???
    4. profit

    Someone do the math for me pls

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    • tetris11@feddit.uk ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
      • Typical flock panel ~50W
      • Typical flock battery ~ 150Wh
      • Rough number of flock cameras: 120,000
      • Assuming each panel is producing power constantly:
        • 120,000 * 50 = 6MW of power, or ~ 5000 homes.
      • At 20% efficiency (e.g. cloudy days), that’s ~ 1000 homes during day time
        • The 18 MW battery capacity could potentially make that a 24 hour period
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      • Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        And the rest of the math:

        The US currently is installing around 7GW of solar power. Per quarter.

        7,000MW. Over 1,000x the entire output of all Flock camera solar panels, being added to the US every 3 months.

        The government and a myriad of other entities are currently rolling out green infrastructure 4,000x as fast as flock.

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  • BradleyUffner@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    The lack of understanding in this post astounding.

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  • Bgugi@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Flock has installed about 100k units with 45w of solar capacity, for about 5MW of capacity.

    The US is installing about 7GW of new solar quarterly.

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    • ayyy@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Seriously, the kind of “gotcha” statement that OP is going for is really harmful to the movement because it’s so out of touch and incorrect.

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    • nexguy@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      It’s not just the solar panels. It’s the cost of the cameras and the subscription. It’s just beginning as well… these cameras are barely even there at this point… give it time.

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      • Bgugi@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Cool, but not the argument presented.

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  • gandalf_der_13te@feddit.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    solar panels have been used on communication infrastructure since 1960. for example telegraph wires and their respective later versions (copper cable, fiber optics cable, etc) because these cables often run through the middle of nowhere and need a small amount of continuous power to operate. so solar + batteries is the least-maintenace, highest-availability, cheapest option. nobody wants to travel 1000km into the woods to replenish a diesel generator.

    –> electronics have been using solar panels since forever. this is nothing new.

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  • wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    technically it is a private company and not the government, but I like the point

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  • YetiBeets@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    If we just redirected all the solar energy from the flock cameras back into the grid we could power the average American home for 2 whole milliseconds!

    Think of the savings!

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  • manxu@piefed.social ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I love how if the government reads this post, then all Flock cameras will henceforth be outfitted with coal-powered steam generators.

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  • Jaysyn@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Flock is a private company you fucking idiot.

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    • nexguy@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Who is paying for all of these cameras and solar panels?

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      • Bytemeister@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Sometimes it’s public entities, like city councils, or police departments. Othertimes, it’s privately owned business, like Lowes, HomeDepot, apartment complexs, or even “communities” like HOAs. The point is that Flock is a private business, and only government affiliated when and where th government decides to do business with them.

        This is in contrast to say, traffic cameras, owned by state DoTs, which are publicly prooerty and exist on public infrastructure.

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      • Jaysyn@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Who is moving all of these goalposts!

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    • Sunflier@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Flock is so entwined with the government that they’re basically the same entity

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  • normalentrance@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Flock is a privately owned company.

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    • Master_Suck@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      And the services they provide to the government are totally, completely free of charge.

      I’m sorry, but are you real?

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      • normalentrance@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Yes. Don’t like flock, but this post is stupid.

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    • nexguy@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Solar panels manufacturers are private companies…what does that matter? It’s who the customer is that matters.

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    • isleepinahammock@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      So is every utility in the country. What’s your point?

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  • crystalmathadept@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I guarantee every one of them with a bunker uses renewable energy, because where you gonna buy gas during the apocalypse?

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    • ch00f@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Power4patriots.com

      So right-wing it wrapped all the way around and came out the other side.

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  • ironpangolin29@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Scale. They can’t monetize it in scale otherwise they would. It’s not economically viable either way. Power a camera sure, a cities electrical grid?

    You have to make money from something in order for the government to implement it at scale.

    I’ve read in another news article that flock themselves began making concessions about how much data they collect and for how long? That’s how you know it’s being used for government surveillance when they have to scale it back themselves in order not to end up under a lens.

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  • brachiosaurus@mander.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    You can type this yourself without having to share a repost from X/twitter.

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  • auzy1@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Meanwhile here in Australia, subsidised Solar, battery, Heat pump water heaters and AC units.

    But don’t worry, the gas loby is trying to get in on the action and return

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  • Lor@mander.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    EXACTLY what i have been saying.

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