Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

ed110220

Martyn1981 wrote: »

UK wind generates new record

Nice! "New renewables" (wind+solar) are now firmly the largest source of low carbon electricity at 54.5 TWh for the last 12 months (Dec 2018-Nov 2019), with nuclear second at 51.1 TWh. See https://www.mygridgb.co.uk/last-12-months/

To me it makes sense to group these two together, separately from biomass and hydro as the former are highly scalable while the latter aren't (lack of many suitable sites for much new hydro, limits of photosynthesis limiting biomass).

There is still some way to go to beat the 84 TWh that nuclear generated in 1997 though, according to https://www.world-nuclear.org/country/default.aspx/United%20Kingdom

GreatApe

ed110220 wrote: »

Nice! "New renewables" (wind+solar) are now firmly the largest source of low carbon electricity at 54.5 TWh for the last 12 months (Dec 2018-Nov 2019), with nuclear second at 51.1 TWh. See https://www.mygridgb.co.uk/last-12-months/

To me it makes sense to group these two together, separately from biomass and hydro as the former are highly scalable while the latter aren't (lack of many suitable sites for much new hydro, limits of photosynthesis limiting biomass).

There is still some way to go to beat the 84 TWh that nuclear generated in 1997 though, according to https://www.world-nuclear.org/country/default.aspx/United%20Kingdom

Half the UK reactors close 2023/4 most the remaining half close 2028/30 so a lot of the 2020s will be a case of taking three steps forward two steps back

If I'm not mistaken the plan is to add 20GW of offshore wind during the 2020s with no significant solar or onshore planned. This 20GW of offshore wind should produce about 70TWh of electricity if none is curtailed (some will be since even today we sometimes curtail) while 50TWh of nuclear will be lost

So 70 steps forward 50 steps backwards

GreatApe

Germany is in a similar boat they will close all their nukes within three years losing some 80TWh of non carbon output. 2024 will be worse CO2 than 2021 for the Germans

Plans are to spend the 2020-30 period adding

+45TWh offshore wind
+ 55TWh onshore wind
+ 45TWh solar PV
= 145 TWh

So 80 steps back 145 steps forward and that's assuming they actually hit their solar and wind targets which they may not do because their total PV capacity alone exceeds their summer demand so either affordable batteries better happen or their wind and solar plans will not be implemented at this scale


Germans shouldn't have closed their nukes which were doing 150TWh a year more than all their planned 2020-2030 wind/PV expansion

Martyn1981

ed110220 wrote: »

Nice! "New renewables" (wind+solar) are now firmly the largest source of low carbon electricity at 54.5 TWh for the last 12 months (Dec 2018-Nov 2019), with nuclear second at 51.1 TWh. See https://www.mygridgb.co.uk/last-12-months/

To me it makes sense to group these two together, separately from biomass and hydro as the former are highly scalable while the latter aren't (lack of many suitable sites for much new hydro, limits of photosynthesis limiting biomass).

There is still some way to go to beat the 84 TWh that nuclear generated in 1997 though, according to https://www.world-nuclear.org/country/default.aspx/United%20Kingdom

I think you're right to separate hydro and biomass, as you say. Also bio-energy has flexibility so that will help with variable RE generation.

Only guessing, but inspired by your 'another milestone' of peak nuclear, but that suggests to me the need for around 7GW of additional off-shore wind, and I think we have something like that in the pipeline (CfD approved but commissioning dates up to ~2026), so lots of records to keep falling.

Martyn1981

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Big day for politics, EU politics:

Info on the proposed European Green deal:

European Green Deal will change economy to solve climate crisis, says EU




But three countries are holding out, particularly Poland which gets 80% of its leccy from coal:

EU leaders meet to try to agree on carbon neutrality by 2050

Success, sorta, kinda, well certainly great progress at least:

European Green Deal to press ahead despite Polish targets opt-out

European Union leaders have vowed to press on with a major economic plan to confront the climate emergency, despite Poland’s opt-out from a net-zero emissions target by 2050.

“The European council [of EU leaders] endorses the objective of achieving a climate-neutral EU by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Paris agreement. One member state, at this stage, cannot commit to implement this objective as far as it is concerned, and the European council will come back to this in June 2020,” states the text, which was agreed after hours of wrangling over timetables and money.

Martyn1981

More greening of energy than green energy, but I think it sits well here, so we have a UK idea to suck air from roads at busy intersections and filter it, cool idea, hope it works/is practical.

Roadside Filters Could Scrub 99% Of Air Pollution

The reduction of air pollution and the health problems it causes are among the biggest factors driving (sorry) the grown of low-carbon, clean air initiatives from power companies and automakers. And, sure, reducing the output of harmful emissions is a necessary thing, but what can we do about the pollution that’s already out there? That’s the question being asked by UK-based firm Pollution Solution, and its answer is a new “cat’s eye-style” in-ground filter that the company claims will be able to substantially reduce air pollution at busy intersections.

Martyn1981

6.6MW for a new off-shore wind turbine, I suppose that's OK, but not exactly impressive ...... sorry ..... what ..... on-shore WT ..... seriously ....... FLIPPING HECK! :eek:

Siemens Gamesa confirms debut deal for onshore titan

Siemens Gamesa has confirmed a first order for its next-generation 5.X onshore turbine platform with a deal to supply 6.6MW-rated hardware for the 231MW Skaftasen wind farm.

The German-Spanish manufacturer will deliver 35 5.8-155 machines, with the flexible power rating up to the higher level, covered by a 30-year service agreement to developer Arise AB and investor Foresight Group.

Installation will take place in the second quarter of 2021.

I wonder what the capacity factors will be?

Martyn1981

Big news for Germany as this will be the first year wind generation tops the charts, pushing lignite (brown coal) down into second place.

Wind is at 24% of generation, and RE at ~46%, with FF gen at approx 40%.

Wind overtakes lignite as Germany's primary power source for the first time in 2019

Martyn1981

Sometimes it's worth remembering that it's not just CO2 emissions we can reduce with RE and BEV's, it's also air pollution that can be improved/reduced.

Experts raise new fears about killer air pollution in UK

The UK’s failure to meet World Health Organisation standards limiting the amount of ultra-fine particles in the air represents a major danger to health that is only now being recognised, experts claim.

Studies published this year link the particles to cancers, lung and heart disease, adverse effects on foetal development, and poor lung and brain development in children. They are considered a key threat to health because they go deep into the lungs and then reach other organs, including the brain. But European standards allow the levels of particles in the air to be 2.5 times higher than those stipulated by the WHO.

Professor Annette Peters, director of the Institute of Epidemiology at the Helmholtz Zentrum, Munich, said Europe – and the UK – urgently needs to introduce tougher standards. She said: “Particles are a major and invisible danger to our health, especially in London and our big cities.

The US has a standard of 12 micrograms of ultra-fine particles per cubic metre, while the WHO standard is 10 micrograms.

“We [the UK and EU’s limits] are currently at 25 micrograms per cubic metre – double the US standards,” said Peters, who warned that scientific evidence confirming the threat they pose to human health “has really strengthened this year”.

“We initially had evidence of the effect on the lungs and heart, but now we also have evidence that it alters the metabolism as well as impacting the brain.”

Vehicle emissions are predominantly to blame, but domestic heating systems and industrial pollutants are also factors. “Recent studies from London and our work in a medium-sized community in southern Germany show there really is evidence that the ultra-fine particles go beyond the lungs,” Peters said.

Martyn1981

I had to post this as the description of 'emotional incontinents' is just so great.

It's a crazy and sad World when the 'kids' are more grown up than the POTUS. Maybe next year we'll try to change things and give them the future they deserve.

Greta Thunberg: emotional incontinents like Trump can’t cope with her controlled anger