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OT: Alternative Energy

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e5fdny

e5fdny

Heisman
Nov 11, 2002
113,641
52,253
102
I have solar.

But would love this…

 
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RUTGERS95

RUTGERS95

Heisman
Sep 28, 2005
25,934
34,778
113
fg7321 said:
Interesting news on two fronts today about Alternative Energy. Keep it technical folks.


Pumped storage Article this one looks very promising as its a storage solution for wind and solar

Click to expand...
this is the future or should be
mining for batteries is an economic disaster not withstanding the games that are played via mining utilization across the globe.
 
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DanceAppreciationTA

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Dec 15, 2015
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Check the net load on CAISO recently in regards to storage



Storage getting paid! I think with PPAs, I guess that hedges some of this day to day wholesale price volatility for solar(mentioned in a follow up tweet)?

And for SMR, NuScale had gotten their design certified this year from the DOE ... Things moving but slowly
 
e5fdny

e5fdny

Heisman
Nov 11, 2002
113,641
52,253
102
DanceAppreciationTA said:
Check the net load on CAISO recently in regards to storage



Storage getting paid! I think with PPAs, I guess that hedges some of this day to day wholesale price volatility for solar(mentioned in a follow up tweet)?

And for SMR, NuScale had gotten their design certified this year from the DOE ... Things moving but slowly
Click to expand...

Not sure what the issue is as mine works great…




😁
 
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RU_DIO

Heisman
Sep 1, 2002
15,939
15,673
113
fg7321 said:
Interesting news on two fronts today about Alternative Energy. Keep it technical folks.


Pumped storage Article this one looks very promising as its a storage solution for wind and solar

Click to expand...
Read the nuke article yesterday. The newer nuke plant designs make ton of sense along with this one. And hydrogen powered cars seem to be a great way to go.
 
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Knight Shift

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
85,289
82,782
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NickRU714 said:
Slightly OT: what the deal with home geothermal systems?

Worth the cost? Incentives?
Seems like the best option for long term energy needs?
Click to expand...
We looked into in 2005 when we built. IIRC, it was about $30K over a gas furnace and HVAC system. We passed
 
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RU Cheese

All-Conference
Sep 14, 2003
4,909
3,284
113
fg7321 said:
Interesting news on two fronts today about Alternative Energy. Keep it technical folks.


Pumped storage Article this one looks very promising as its a storage solution for wind and solar

Click to expand...
Pumped storage is great but requires a lot of land and if I recall is relatively inefficient (re energy use age to pump and then regenerate)z
 
M

mdk02

Heisman
Aug 18, 2011
26,014
18,364
113
WhichReligionIsRight said:
Click to expand...


It's behind a paywall, but there was an interesting article on today's WSJ about wind and solar in Texas and Great Plains states. Not all peaches and cream and not because of a bunch of deplorables. Reasons for the push back is varied. And BTW, Texas already has more wind than any other state.
 
e5fdny

e5fdny

Heisman
Nov 11, 2002
113,641
52,253
102
NickRU714 said:
Slightly OT: what the deal with home geothermal systems?

Worth the cost? Incentives?
Seems like the best option for long term energy needs?
Click to expand...

Knight Shift said:
We looked into in 2005 when we built. IIRC, it was about $30K over a gas furnace and HVAC system. We passed
Click to expand...
Brother in law had it in Brielle but very close to the water, Glimmer Glass, so it was ruined because of Sandy.

Not sure what insurance did or if he got it replaced but he liked it when it did work.
 
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mdk02

Heisman
Aug 18, 2011
26,014
18,364
113
RUDead said:
Couldn't read this due to paywall but agree Germany has gone completely bonkers. Now they are burning more coal then ever to make up their self inflicted energy deficit.
Click to expand...

Posted this as a source that will not be dismissed out of hand by a segment of posters. Hoped the paywall wouldn't kick in, but I was wrong.
 
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ru66

All-American
Jul 28, 2001
12,175
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Had a client that did geothermal-- it was a complete fail and wound up costing more and not efficient due to pumps and whatever -- they have now went solar with a solar farm on their property.
 
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hoquat63

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Mar 17, 2005
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Just read an article a day or two ago about scientists discovering a method to generate electricity from humid air. Don’t remember where I saw it and even if I did too much of a fossil to post a link.
 
RUTGERS95

RUTGERS95

Heisman
Sep 28, 2005
25,934
34,778
113
There have been many instances of alternative energy that have come and gone and I think part of it is money behind it. If you can't charge or tax it, should it exist?

rhetorical for the challenged
 
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RU09FOOTBALL

Senior
Jun 26, 2009
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Nuclear power is the only answer to our power generation needs long-term. It’s efficiency and in-service time is second to none. From sciencing.com:

”A pellet of nuclear fuel weighs approximately 0.1 ounce (6 grams). However, that single pellet yields the amount of energy equivalent to that generated by a ton of coal, 120 gallons of oil or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, making nuclear fuel much more efficient than fossil fuels.

In addition, nuclear power plants operate more reliably than other power generation facilities. In 2017, nuclear plants worked at full capacity 92% of the time. For comparison, consider the operating times for other energy-generating sources: coal plants (54%), natural gas plants (55%), wind generators (37%) and solar plants (27%).”
 
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mdk02

Heisman
Aug 18, 2011
26,014
18,364
113
M

mildone_rivals

Heisman
Dec 19, 2011
55,607
51,271
0
mdk01 said:
There is also the Thunderdome solution. Dominion Energy and Smithfield Foods have a joint venture to generate electricity from what they artfully describe as "renewable natural gas". Smithfield provides the "raw material".
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To be honest, I feel pretty bad about the pigs. But I love bacon. So unless I turn veggie-only (unlikely), I suppose it doesn't make a ton of sense to start caring about pigs all of a sudden.
 
M

mildone_rivals

Heisman
Dec 19, 2011
55,607
51,271
0
RU09FOOTBALL said:
Nuclear power is the only answer to our power generation needs long-term. It’s efficiency and in-service time is second to none. From sciencing.com:

”A pellet of nuclear fuel weighs approximately 0.1 ounce (6 grams). However, that single pellet yields the amount of energy equivalent to that generated by a ton of coal, 120 gallons of oil or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, making nuclear fuel much more efficient than fossil fuels.

In addition, nuclear power plants operate more reliably than other power generation facilities. In 2017, nuclear plants worked at full capacity 92% of the time. For comparison, consider the operating times for other energy-generating sources: coal plants (54%), natural gas plants (55%), wind generators (37%) and solar plants (27%).”
Click to expand...
Nukes are the answer to the short-to-medium-term transition from oil and coal to something else. But they are not a great long-term solution. Hell, they're not even a "great"" solution short-term; just less bad than fossil fuels or coal and more reliable than where clean energy methods are currently at today.

Humanity will probably solve all it's energy needs sometime in the next 50-100 years. Not saying it'll be fully implemented in that timeframe. Just that the technology will have been figured out and proven. Pretty sure it won't be any of the current methods, clean or otherwise.
 
MADHAT1

MADHAT1

Heisman
Apr 1, 2003
30,518
15,497
113
hoquat63 said:
Yes - good thing you're more savvy than I am
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not really, just copied what you said: "scientists discovering a method to generate electricity from humid air." and pasted it in google search.
Then had a few articles pop up about it
 
M

mdk02

Heisman
Aug 18, 2011
26,014
18,364
113
mildone said:
To be honest, I feel pretty bad about the pigs. But I love bacon. So unless I turn veggie-only (unlikely), I suppose it doesn't make a ton of sense to start caring about pigs all of a sudden.
Click to expand...

You can be vegan. The pigs supply the methane, not breakfast.
 
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mikebal9

All-Conference
Oct 15, 2005
5,731
4,961
113
mildone said:
Nukes are the answer to the short-to-medium-term transition from oil and coal to something else. But they are not a great long-term solution. Hell, they're not even a "great"" solution short-term; just less bad than fossil fuels or coal and more reliable than where clean energy methods are currently at today.

Humanity will probably solve all it's energy needs sometime in the next 50-100 years. Not saying it'll be fully implemented in that timeframe. Just that the technology will have been figured out and proven. Pretty sure it won't be any of the current methods, clean or otherwise.
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Just wondering why you feel this way. What are the drawbacks. My brother, who is a nuclear engineer in the Navy, has been championing nuclear energy for years.
 
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brgRC90

Heisman
Apr 8, 2008
34,957
15,858
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mikebal9 said:
Just wondering why you feel this way. What are the drawbacks. My brother, who is a nuclear engineer in the Navy, has been championing nuclear energy for years.
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Cost, for starters. Storage of waste for another. Sources of fuel.
 
M

mildone_rivals

Heisman
Dec 19, 2011
55,607
51,271
0
mikebal9 said:
Just wondering why you feel this way. What are the drawbacks. My brother, who is a nuclear engineer in the Navy, has been championing nuclear energy for years.
Click to expand...
Nuclear waste and the potential for a catastrophic accident no matter how careful. Why deal with those if we can come up with something better, which as I said, I'm pretty sure we will.
 
RUTGERS95

RUTGERS95

Heisman
Sep 28, 2005
25,934
34,778
113
RU09FOOTBALL said:
Nuclear power is the only answer to our power generation needs long-term. It’s efficiency and in-service time is second to none. From sciencing.com:

”A pellet of nuclear fuel weighs approximately 0.1 ounce (6 grams). However, that single pellet yields the amount of energy equivalent to that generated by a ton of coal, 120 gallons of oil or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, making nuclear fuel much more efficient than fossil fuels.

In addition, nuclear power plants operate more reliably than other power generation facilities. In 2017, nuclear plants worked at full capacity 92% of the time. For comparison, consider the operating times for other energy-generating sources: coal plants (54%), natural gas plants (55%), wind generators (37%) and solar plants (27%).”
Click to expand...
nat gas is good too and in abundance but agree, nuke is the way to go
 
W

WhichReligionIsRight

Heisman
Oct 19, 2010
207,474
28,753
0
RU09FOOTBALL said:
Nuclear power is the only answer to our power generation needs long-term. It’s efficiency and in-service time is second to none. From sciencing.com:

”A pellet of nuclear fuel weighs approximately 0.1 ounce (6 grams). However, that single pellet yields the amount of energy equivalent to that generated by a ton of coal, 120 gallons of oil or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, making nuclear fuel much more efficient than fossil fuels.

In addition, nuclear power plants operate more reliably than other power generation facilities. In 2017, nuclear plants worked at full capacity 92% of the time. For comparison, consider the operating times for other energy-generating sources: coal plants (54%), natural gas plants (55%), wind generators (37%) and solar plants (27%).”
Click to expand...

Problem is that nukes are prohibitively expensive. Plus, plutonium is forever.
 
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