Fit-for-service low-carbon electricity is key

[Barry Brook]

A new post has been published on BraveNewClimate. Link here: bravenewclimate.com/ffs-tech-key

This article (by Barry Brook) was originally published on The Conversation website until the title: "Low-carbon electricity must be fit-for-service (and nuclear power is)", and addresses the the recent AETA report and the limitation of undue focus on LCOE rather than trying to understand the system-wide challenges in fossil-energy replacement.

This BNC Discussion Forum thread is for the comments related to this BNC post.

[BNC Moderator]

Asteroid Miner -
Your comment regarding the Wade Allison book, "Radiation and Reason" deemed off-topic here, has been moved to the BNC comments board thread "Time for a reckoning, time for an apology" which discusses misconceptions about radiation.

[singletonengineer]

The comments beneath this article on The Conversation's site are repetitive and predictable, although there are a few plus points to them.

First, there are the usual loud and prolonged cries of "We'll all be doomed" from the anti-nuclear mob. Perhaps disappointingly, nothing at all that is new has appeared and most was either entirely irrational or purely statements of personal opinion, rather than rational debate or even discussion.

Second, the noise appeared to come primarily from half a dozen serial posters. There's hope that a large number of non-posters gained something from Barry's article.

Third, some names I recognise from this and other sites devoted considerable effort to addressing the substance of the comments, rationally and civilly.

Although at first glance, it appeared that Barry's words had fallen like the seed in the parable, on stony ground, I suspect that it was worth the effort.

Thanks, Barry, for taking your message to another forum. Here's hoping that it was worthwhile.

[jagdish]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_current_power
Power of marine currents is much larger than the hydraulic power from the rivers. It is so big that even a fraction available from Run of the current systems without construction of dams for impounding the waters may make a significant difference. Only a beginning has been made and there is immense scope in this renewable source of power. Some schemes for impounding of tidal basins have also been discussed.
Here is a source bigger and more predictable than the existing hydro-power and as quick in results as wind power. The machines of a standard size have to be manufactured in a shore factory and anchored at the right place.
Nuclear-shy countries, which include Australia and are growing (Germany, Japan) should make the industrial effort in this direction rather than tilting at windmills.

[proteos]

Sept 2, 2012 14:39:09 GMT 9.5 jagdish said:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_current_power
Power of marine currents is much larger than the hydraulic power from the rivers. It is so big that even a fraction available from Run of the current systems without construction of dams for impounding the waters may make a significant difference. Only a beginning has been made and there is immense scope in this renewable source of power. Some schemes for impounding of tidal basins have also been discussed.
Here is a source bigger and more predictable than the existing hydro-power and as quick in results as wind power. The machines of a standard size have to be manufactured in a shore factory and anchored at the right place.

I am rather skeptical about harnessing much power from the sea. Tidal power is not so practical: today tidal factories are rare and small. The Brits have more or less shelved their project, the Severn Barrage. And it's in places with a tidal range close to or above 10m every day! As for the Gulf Stream, one has to remind that most of the ocean has a depth of 2000m or more. It's not easy to build infrastructure there! Looking at the problems of offshore wind, which is close to the coast and in very shallow waters today, I do not think this is practical in the forseeable future.

It's a bit like the solar power selling point: it's very true that the light of the sun incoming on earth amounts to a tremendous value. That there are places with nothing built or very few living things but a lot of sun (deserts). The problem is that it is not so easy to harness such an energy. Building & maintaining infrastructure in the desert is a tough task: for a start, there's no one to do the job (it's a desert, mind you!).

[David B. Benson]

Wave powered generators are now permitted (up to 10 units) off the Oregon coast. We'll see how this works out for the units which are installed by winter, when the waves become very large indeed.