The Alternative Green Energy Thread

JKenH

markin said:

Bang for buck, Would it not now be better for us to divert some billions to install solar and battery in India? They still have 50% Coal.

https://powermin.gov.in/en/content/power-sector-glance-all-india

I have advocated this type of policy numerous times. Let’s provide foreign aid for renewable projects abroad. Bang for the buck it’s far more effective than spending it in the UK. 

JKenH

thevilla said:

China has committed to peak emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2060.  Recent publicity says they're AHEAD of those targets.  Are we?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas_emissions_by_China

I'm no China cheerleader but we can't keep pointing at them in order to justify watering down our own targets.  If only for our fianancial self interest we cant rest on our laurels.   Look at the way the EV market is moving towards chinese  manufacturers!

I hope those predictions are more reliable than Elon Musk’s for robotaxis. I am sorry but you do sound like a China cheerleader. The future hangs on China (and perhaps to a lesser extent India). BTW I haven’t suggested watering down our own targets  but I can see it makes a better argument if you suggest I have. For the record what I actually said was “I am not saying we shouldn’t do more (reduced emissions are good for our health)…”

If GT and the ER crowd really were concerned about world CO2 levels they would get on their bikes and pedal to China and protest there. They are just a bunch of leftie middle class misfits who like to stir up trouble. Did you ever wonder what the impact on emissions and pollution was of all those protests in London and on the M25? 

thevilla

JKenH said:

thevilla said:

China has committed to peak emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2060.  Recent publicity says they're AHEAD of those targets.  Are we?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas_emissions_by_China

I'm no China cheerleader but we can't keep pointing at them in order to justify watering down our own targets.  If only for our fianancial self interest we cant rest on our laurels.   Look at the way the EV market is moving towards chinese  manufacturers!

I hope those predictions are more reliable than Elon Musk’s for robotaxis. I am sorry but you do sound like a China cheerleader. The future hangs on China (and perhaps to a lesser extent India). BTW I haven’t suggested watering down our own targets  but I can see it makes a better argument if you suggest I have. For the record what I actually said was “I am not saying we shouldn’t do more (reduced emissions are good for our health)…”

If GT and the ER crowd really were concerned about world CO2 levels they would get on their bikes and pedal to China and protest there. They are just a bunch of leftie middle class misfits who like to stir up trouble. Did you ever wonder what the impact on emissions and pollution was of all those protests in London and on the M25? 

Apologies, I was responding to Cardew rather than you but my response wasn't clear.

Of course we're reliant on China et al doing the heavy lifting! How would they respond if we told them were not taking the "pain" too?

The pain of course includes all of us breathing clean air.

My main point is that we constantly hear China does nothing and we make no difference because of that.  It would be a fair but sad point if true. It (apparently) isn't true.

markin

JKenH said:

markin said:

Bang for buck, Would it not now be better for us to divert some billions to install solar and battery in India? They still have 50% Coal.

https://powermin.gov.in/en/content/power-sector-glance-all-india

I have advocated this type of policy numerous times. Let’s provide foreign aid for renewable projects abroad. Bang for the buck it’s far more effective than spending it in the UK. 

I was thinking more directly, A new company or buy out the largest installer and fill the uk pension pot with the returns!

Start are own sovereign wealth fund.

70sbudgie

I've only scan read the last couple pages of comments, so apologies if I am repeating something that has already been covered.

China, and increasingly India will also be including in their stats emmissions etc numbers that should really be included in out stats, but are not. The vast majority of production for the UK (and others) is in China. If we stop asking them to produce stuff from fossil fuels (plastics from mineral oil) and increase demand for more environmentally beneficial products (net, I'm aware of the environmental impact of the manufacture of things like batteanies) and stop sending them our rubbish to deal with, it will have an overall positive effect.

We can also improve our expectations when tracking the carbon footprint of our products - supporting manufacturers to install renewable generation etc at their factories and worker accomodations.

These are all things that we can and should be doing here, that will help indirectly to move China away from coal generation and other highly polluting activities.

Cardew

thevilla said:

Apologies, I was responding to Cardew rather than you but my response wasn't clear.

Look at my post - I just posed a question!

However for the record, I am not a fan of China

markin

I was looking at the power chart just now, And its going to take some getting used to seeing imports being at 7.7GW up to 10% of supply!

I was also quite confused as to why on shore wind can often in the chart be from 5-8GW and yet off-shore is almost at a stand still, And other times more even so its not simply broken? Or is the off-shore being targeted to be constrained vs on-shore, Or simply Scotland on-shore vs the south off-shore 

Is the a live wind power map on the net?

https://electricinsights.co.uk/#/dashboard?period=7-days&start=2023-02-06&&_k=gix7rh

amosmosley

70sbudgie said:

I've only scan read the last couple pages of comments, so apologies if I am repeating something that has already been covered.

China, and increasingly India will also be including in their stats emmissions etc numbers that should really be included in out stats, but are not. The vast majority of production for the UK (and others) is in China. If we stop asking them to produce stuff from fossil fuels (plastics from mineral oil) and increase demand for more environmentally beneficial products (net, I'm aware of the environmental impact of the manufacture of things like batteanies) and stop sending them our rubbish to deal with, it will have an overall positive effect.

We can also improve our expectations when tracking the carbon footprint of our products - supporting manufacturers to install renewable generation etc at their factories and worker accomodations.

These are all things that we can and should be doing here, that will help indirectly to move China away from coal generation and other highly polluting activities.

You're right that countries like China and India also contribute to global emissions, and that the production of goods that are consumed in other countries can have significant emissions associated with them. Encouraging the production of more environmentally beneficial products and reducing waste can help reduce emissions associated with global trade.

In addition, efforts to improve the sustainability of global supply chains, such as supporting manufacturers to install renewable generation and improve worker accommodations, can help reduce the overall carbon footprint of the products we consume. These actions can also provide economic and social benefits to the countries in which they occur.

However, it's also important for countries to take responsibility for their own emissions and to reduce them as much as possible. This includes investing in renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, and transitioning away from fossil fuels. By doing so, countries can reduce their own contributions to climate change and also demonstrate leadership in the global effort to address this issue.

JKenH

Ørsted calls on UK govt for support as rising costs put Hornsea 3 at risk

I find it incredible, after wind generators have been delaying the start of their CfD contracts to cash in on the recent high energy prices, that Ørsted is now wanting more money from the UK government or it might not build its wind farm. The CfDs are index linked after all. If prices go up Ørsted get paid more. This was foreseeable at the time they put their bid in. 

Hornsea 3, touted as the single largest offshore wind project in the world, is planned to be located in the UK North Sea, about 120 km (74.5 mi) off the Norfolk coast. Last July, the project secured a contract for difference (CfD) in the fourth allocation round of the UK government’s CfD scheme.

However, rising financing and construction costs are putting the implementation of the GBP-8-billion (USD 9.55bn/EUR 9.01bn) scheme at risk.

"Industry is doing everything it can to manage costs on these projects but there is a real and growing risk of them being put on hold or even handing back their CfDs, with repercussions that could impact across the economy as reserved capacity with supply chain businesses goes unfulfilled", Clark added.

https://renewablesnow.com/news/rsted-calls-on-uk-govt-for-support-as-rising-costs-put-hornsea-3-at-risk-816421/

JKenH

Britain's plan to profit from the offshore wind boom has been blown off course 

When turbine blades began spinning last August at Hornsea 2 — the world’s biggest offshore wind farm off the coast of Yorkshire — it was a symbolic victory for the UK in its attempts to reclaim its position as the leading nation in the offshore wind market. 

The country famously holds the largest share of offshore wind capacity in the world, followed by China and Germany.

However, promises that offshore wind would spark a new industrial revolution for Britain have been blown off course, as the country is yet to enjoy a manufacturing and jobs boom. 

https://www.euronews.com/2023/03/03/britains-plan-to-profit-from-the-offshore-wind-boom-has-been-blown-off-course