| Said it before, say it again on 10:35 - Jul 3 with 561 views | Steve_M |
An article about Germany's energy mix which doesn't mention the political decision to immediately close nuclear plants, and thus rely on lignite-fired power stations, is severely limited. And, in any case, it's fusion that has been the next big thing for 50 years.
No one technology is the answer but renewable generation is, and will continue to, play an important part in the global energy mix. Over the last two decades subsidy has encouraged implementation and reduced the price of those technologies, particularly wind power but also solar.
It's not a panacea, of course. There is plenty of Nimbyism, developers want to build in the windiest places and ignore demand (and that's why it costs more to transmit power from Scotland not English racism as the wilder Scottish nationalists are prone to claim) and intermitancy remains an issue but storage technology - batteries mainly - is improving, both at a large scale but also the domestic level. Micro networks in less developed parts of Africa and Asia, largely solar energy powering batteries, are starting to vastly improve the quality of life for people freed from having to rely on open fires for cooking and kerosene lights.
It would be nice to see a more concerted effort to reduce consumption, people remain lazy by and large and there is likely to still be a requirement for some fossil fuel generation but articles like this are written by people desperate to pretend that the world isn't changing. |  |
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| Said it before, say it again on 10:37 - Jul 3 with 555 views | Guthrum |
Same as with the motorway system, future useage levels were badly underpredicted when the network was designed and built. Doesn't mean the whole concept was flawed, just that there is a continual battle for capacity to keep pace with requirements. At some point, however, a relative plateau will be reached, when everyone who can have a car has got one and goods haulage growth reaches natural limits.
Renewable energy has the advantage that the huge increase in demand for electricity has come during the development process. Thus meaning the infrastructure can be built at a more realistic level.
The Germans, of course, have the additional problem of having partially abandoned nuclear power generation, thus leaving the only backup to renewables as coal (of which they still have substantial reserves, albeit of lower quality). Which we in the UK haven't, thus allowing us to ditch the coal (plus our gas-fired power stations, for which we have offshore reserves). |  |
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| Said it before, say it again on 10:40 - Jul 3 with 536 views | chicoazul |
| Said it before, say it again on 10:35 - Jul 3 by Steve_M |
An article about Germany's energy mix which doesn't mention the political decision to immediately close nuclear plants, and thus rely on lignite-fired power stations, is severely limited. And, in any case, it's fusion that has been the next big thing for 50 years.
No one technology is the answer but renewable generation is, and will continue to, play an important part in the global energy mix. Over the last two decades subsidy has encouraged implementation and reduced the price of those technologies, particularly wind power but also solar.
It's not a panacea, of course. There is plenty of Nimbyism, developers want to build in the windiest places and ignore demand (and that's why it costs more to transmit power from Scotland not English racism as the wilder Scottish nationalists are prone to claim) and intermitancy remains an issue but storage technology - batteries mainly - is improving, both at a large scale but also the domestic level. Micro networks in less developed parts of Africa and Asia, largely solar energy powering batteries, are starting to vastly improve the quality of life for people freed from having to rely on open fires for cooking and kerosene lights.
It would be nice to see a more concerted effort to reduce consumption, people remain lazy by and large and there is likely to still be a requirement for some fossil fuel generation but articles like this are written by people desperate to pretend that the world isn't changing. |
Germany have spent half a trillion Euros on making electricity twice as expensive, and there is some thinking now that land based wind farms are the main thing killing insects.
Give me Nuclear! |  |
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| Said it before, say it again on 10:41 - Jul 3 with 534 views | StokieBlue |
Solar power is excellent and it's efficiency nowadays is pretty good. They are also developing bio-solar cells which can be printed and rolled onto roofs etc. It's shouldn't be dismissed.
As for the article, it's right that renewables can't replace everything. What we need is a joined up energy generation policy which requires 3 elements:
Intermittent Power - renewables (solar, wind, tidal etc)
Surge Power - stored energy (pumped hydro, batteries etc)
Baseline Power - baseline power which can be ramped up when needed (nuclear)
This covers the peaks and troughs in both usage and generation whilst removing the carbon part of energy generation.
SB |  |
| Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula |
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| Said it before, say it again on 10:43 - Jul 3 with 526 views | StokieBlue |
| Said it before, say it again on 10:40 - Jul 3 by chicoazul |
Germany have spent half a trillion Euros on making electricity twice as expensive, and there is some thinking now that land based wind farms are the main thing killing insects.
Give me Nuclear! |
Got any links about wind farms killing insects?
Nuclear is definition the only realistic option we have for baseline non-carbon power generation. Needs to be 3rd generation reactors, molten-salt or thorium though.
SB
Edit: Topical article from today:
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/jim-al-khalili-nuclear-power
[Post edited 3 Jul 2019 12:39]
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| Avatar - IC410 - Tadpoles Nebula |
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