The Alternative Green Energy Thread

thevilla

Alternatively:

Q2 2020: Electricity prices plummet

https://reports.electricinsights.co.uk/q2-2020/electricity-prices-plummet/

JKenH

Work Starts on Biggest U.K. Project to Use Tesla Batteries

http://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/work-starts-on-biggest-u-k-project-to-use-tesla-batteries-1.1521562

JKenH

EU hints at a Brexit 'energy blockade' - but power blackouts are a hollow threat

On the face of it, curtailment of power supply in mid-Winter is a frightening prospect. Interconnectors from France, Belgium, and Holland, have supplied 9pc of the UK’s electricity this year. The share can be much higher at peak demand.  

But this is not to be confused with critical dependency. The UK relies on this source of power because it is marginally cheaper most of the time, not because it lacks alternatives. 

The National Grid says it has the back-up capacity to handle any crisis that arises. “In the highly unlikely event of no interconnector flows between Great Britain and continental Europe we have the tools and capabilities to ensure security of supply,” it said.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/11/13/eu-hints-brexit-energy-blockade-power-blackouts-hollow-threat/

JKenH

Hydrogen could be heating homes in three years

Hydrogen could be blended with natural gas to heat British homes within the next three years in a bid to reduce pollution, the Government is expected to announce tomorrow.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/11/17/hydrogen-could-heating-homes-three-years/

joefizz

JKenH said:

Hydrogen could be heating homes in three years

Hydrogen could be blended with natural gas to heat British homes within the next three years in a bid to reduce pollution, the Government is expected to announce tomorrow.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/11/17/hydrogen-could-heating-homes-three-years/

Trial in homes in Gateshead next year. 20%. The Keele university study was very promising and with the new undersea cables coming ashore in the NE of England it makes it prime area for hydrogen production.
With gas pushing out oil use, there really is a chance for the UK/Ireland to lead on this.
It is mostly coming ashore in the NE of England, not Scotland... (dont want another independence fight over energy ;-))

joefizz

JKenH said:

The National Grid says it has the back-up capacity to handle any crisis that arises.

Lets just save that one for posterity.....
..although depends if/when this national infrastructure bank gets going and if it actually delivers real hard infrastructure not just massive fees to middle men and party donors.
David McWilliams had a great podcast a few weeks ago about such a scheme.

JKenH

https://themarketear.com/

JKenH

WIND POWER ECONOMICS
RHETORIC & REALITY

I came across this paper on wind farm economics; lengthy but providing an insight into the costs of operating wind farms, whether you agree with the conclusions or not. What I found particularly interesting was the section on the efficiency of ever larger turbines.

https://www.ref.org.uk/Files/performance-wind-power-uk.pdf

JKenH

Nothing like a bit of objective reporting, in fact it’s nothing like objective reporting at all.

So What Should CleanTechnica’s Policy Be For Reporting On Hydrogen?

• Strong on displacement of fossil-fuel sourced hydrogen for existing industrial uses with green hydrogen powered by renewables.
• Strong on new industrial uses that displace high-CO2e intensity processes such as steelmaking from iron ore.
• Open to but somewhat skeptical about long-haul aviation.
• Open to but somewhat skeptical about long-haul oceanic shipping.
• Deeply skeptical about everything else in the hydrogen space.
• Never reference the ‘hydrogen economy’ without quote marks indicating its intentional use in the 2020s as a PR item.
• Never reference ‘blue hydrogen’ without quote marks and a phrase indicating that it’s a greenwashing term used by the fossil fuel industry.

There’s a $120 billion global hydrogen industry that we have to kick the fossil fuel companies out of. 

https://cleantechnica.com/2020/12/23/latest-hydrogen-economy-round-is-hype-but-there-is-a-place-for-hydrogen/

ABrass

JKenH said:

WIND POWER ECONOMICS
RHETORIC & REALITY

I came across this paper on wind farm economics; lengthy but providing an insight into the costs of operating wind farms, whether you agree with the conclusions or not. What I found particularly interesting was the section on the efficiency of ever larger turbines.

https://www.ref.org.uk/Files/performance-wind-power-uk.pdf

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Renewable_Energy_Foundation

Gordon Hughes, the author, is a staunch critic of renewable energy in all its forms and a firm supporter of fossil fuels. Which makes sense, if you're a group funded by fossil fuel companies you go to the right person to write your reports.

When you dig through it you find the numbers he relies on are sourced from the Global Warming Policy Foundation in some of his own work. The 'actual' capex he references is an inferred actual capex.