Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

silverwhistle

Martyn1981 wrote: »

So on a like for like basis, BEV's have arrived, it's only when someone compares a $100k luxury TMS to a base Fiat Punto on price alone, that we see issues ...... lots of issues!

Yes, the new technology has largely been at the higher end of the market but it looks like it's going down the scale rapidly recently with new offerings from Skoda, Renault and MG imminent. I'm waiting for second hand models of the latter: an older Leaf, for example, wouldn't do it for me in range terms and the Zoe battery lease would negate any fuel savings.


I'd very much hope that next car will be electric. Maybe a bit of cheating in the meantime to buy an electric bicycle..

silverwhistle

Just wondering: I recall that people used to complain (probably still do) about payments for curtailing wind. What is the mechanism for sustaining coal plant when there is such infrequent recourse to it? It's an awful lot of capital (and labour) tied up for intermittent use.

GreatApe

silverwhistle wrote: »

Just wondering: I recall that people used to complain (probably still do) about payments for curtailing wind. What is the mechanism for sustaining coal plant when there is such infrequent recourse to it? It's an awful lot of capital (and labour) tied up for intermittent use.

The capital is valued at zero or close to zero
That is to say the 40 year old coal plants have a low to zero capital cost/value
In the same way a 15 year old car costs £500 (basically free or at least free compared to the £25k new version)

No matter how infrequently they are used, the grid needs to maintain a certain amount of thermal capacity to guarantee supply.

The real question is if a brand new CCGT operating at low CF is cheaper than keeping the 50 year old coal plant going for x more years

The capital cost of a new 1GW CCGT is about £43 Million per year (assuming £0.5 billion @6% capital cost and 20 year life)

So £43 M vs £0 M to keep the coal plant going

Of course the CCGT has cheaper maintenance and labor but probably not to the extent to bridge the £43 M

silverwhistle

silverwhistle wrote: »

Yep, I just checked that link myself: 10d17h. I don't think they'll need any today. As a guide my panels are doing reasonably well and the silver birch at the bottom of the garden is showing a decent breeze.

Hurrah, 11 days! :-)

michaels

I bought a brand new leaf for 12.3k 4 years ago and that included the battery. Insurance is same as the equivalent 10s 0-60 golf/focus. Electricity is 3p/mile. Leaf has v2g so free storage to timeshift leccy.

Next year you will be able to get a 200 mile eCorsa for 18.5k which will be similar to the same spec ice version. ON 1st September you will be able to get an Mg eZS for 21k which is similar to the same spec Qashqai.

Martyn1981

Interesting idea, an expanded pilot, research development:

Drax Group To Partner With Equinor & National Grid On UK’s First Zero Carbon Cluster

British electrical power generation company Drax Group announced Monday it will partner with Norwegian energy company Equinor and National Grid Ventures on the United Kingdom’s first zero carbon cluster in Humber built around a large-scale carbon capture usage and storage network and a hydrogen production facility.

Martyn1981

What's the time? Is it later than 3:12pm?

Just passed 2 weeks without coal.

Britain hits new clean energy record by generating electricity without coal for 2 weeks

Did anyone in the pool get 'a month'?

silverwhistle

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Just passed 2 weeks without coal.

16 days now. My domestic monitor (silver birch and PV ) still looking good.



Anybody care to hazard a guess as to how long this particular run will go on for? We now need to push on and start substituting natural gas as well. There's no hope for any top level leadership in the matter for a while yet, and employment and investment in RE in the UK has dropped dramatically, but just think what could be achieved with a bit of drive, commitment planning and support..

michaels

I was half wondering if we were using very little electricity industrially at the moment with half of industry shut down due to Brexit uncertainty (note uncertainty rather than Brexit itself being the main issue)

GreatApe

michaels wrote: »

I was half wondering if we were using very little electricity industrially at the moment with half of industry shut down due to Brexit uncertainty (note uncertainty rather than Brexit itself being the main issue)

Not really, but today shows why the UK does not need much more investment in any solar or nuclear power. This Sunday will be roughly 80% non fossil fuel powered (for electricity generation) and 20% from natural gas.

With the links to France currently under construction a Sunday like today would be close to 100% non fossil fuel powered

by 2023 the UK will be circa 75-80% fossil fuel free in its grid and we are committed to continue adding offshore wind from 2023-2030 so new nuclear is not needed nor is PV nor is onshore wind so they should get zero subs from this point on

since EVs are more or less out of our control they either happen globally or not, the next stage should be about electrification of heating. Bring forward the fossil fuel ban in new builds to 2020 and figure out a way to start transitioning the existing housing stock to electric heating