Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Judith Curry :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4YUnZIKneY
This lady is a climatologist who has some very pertinent views to share. I especially liked the part from about minute 26 where she mentions two useful alternatives to wind and solar. One interesting point she made was this – if fossil fuels have led to wilder weather events, WHY would anyone in their right mind move to an energy source that depends totally on weather (solar and wind)?
Further to that, she mentions both the hugely increased amount of mined materials that are needed to create (what is it in Australia today) 22,000 solar panels PER DAY for the next 7 years, plus the fact that these require vastly greater areas of land for both the placement and the subsequent transmission lines for these solar or wind farms.
All in all, it is the frantic rush with little cogent thought around the whole subject that is leading to doubtful decisions being made in the political arena on the subject of power.
Sad to say, not a lot has changed in the last three months – except that “Extinction Rebellion” protagonists appear to have gone to ground (thank heaven for that!!). Solar panels continue to be added to the grid. The more that are added, the more sensitive the grid becomes.
Think about this – the grid needs stability to prevent brown or blackouts. With more and more transient inputs added (i.e. they CAN’T operate full-time – their operation is thus transient) the ability of the grid to continue to provide a solid, unchanging 240v becomes harder and harder. Like, when it is broad daylight, coal generators aren’t needed so much as the solar input is providing power. Then the Sun goes down, and coal/gas must pick up ALL the slack…. Instantly !!!
Add to that, with Banks not lending to build more “fossil fuel generators” and the old ones needing maintenance (and some brain-dead States blowing up their coal-fired gennies), when will the existing base load generators fail, leaving us on our proverbial knees re energy? Solar CAN’T work at night – how will folks power their electric vehicles overnight?
Sorry – there are too many questions for mine re this so-called “green energy”. How much fossil material needs to be mined to CREATE these solar acreages in the first place? And don’t these panels have a lifetime of 10 years? What then?
Come in nuclear – you can’t come soon enough !!
Let’s highlight that interesting comment from the last post – it bears thinking about:-
if fossil fuels have led to wilder weather events, WHY would anyone in their right mind move to an energy source that depends totally on weather (solar and wind)?
Nuff said?
Wow – it’s been a whole year !! One major sticking point that has shown up over the last 12 months is the subject of transmission lines. Think this through now:-
For a grid to work, it must be interconnected. To interconnect a plethora of independent inputs requires a spiders web of interconnections. And copper wire is not cheap. Neither are transmission towers. So, we are accumulating a bunch of separate power inputs (think each and every wind tower, plus each bank of solar panels. In fact, even each bank is made up of separate inputs, so a whole mess of interconnections in one bank. Then again, the solar “farms” appear to be acres of these things, all needing to be interconnected, and then their combined output needs to reach the “grid”. This could conceivably be many kilometres away. And each wind tower and/or solar farm needs a similar interconnection to the “grid”. Thousands of kilometres of copper wire, and even hundreds of kilometres of transmission lines including their towers need to be built. Expensive, much !!
Alternatively, upgrading coal fired stations (where transmission lines already exist) to HELE coal (High Efficiency, Low Emission) sees no need for extra connectivity. And/or, put a nuclear station on the same plot of land as a decommissioning coal power station, and the need for uber expensive connectivity becomes way lower – just hook ’em up to where the coal power station did. A few feet of copper wire, sure, but no way as expensive as the alternative.
Earlier points made (transient supplies can’t supply “base load power”) that show the weakness of wind farms or solar farms also remain valid. Now add BOTH of those major imposts together, and I fail to understand HOW any sane Govt signed up for such a plan in the first place. But then, they doubled down by signing up to time limits on getting rid of coal, AND pushed the usage of electric cars – which will be powered by what overnight????? No solar, for sure. So, we end up with more demand for a transient power source at times when these sources CANNOT work.
What’s next? Have everyone who drives an electric car mount a generator under their desk so they can pedal a few Kw as they sit watching TV or using the computer at night? Or wait – maybe the Govt will have a brainwave and go nuclear after all?
Forgive me if I fail to be convinced Labor will head the way of common sense. They haven’t shown too much of that for mine.
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