B.S. 7671 Compliant Installation but

Hi Chris, yes I guess it was a bit bleak! 


You're quite right that we're a very innovative species  and will find solutions to the numerous challenges we've created. Geological timescales are so vast that it's quite difficult to appreciate how all our accumulated knowledge and understanding has been achieved in the "blink of an eye" in comparative terms.


​​​​​​I Guess we've gone off script from Zoom's original post but the narrative seemed to be suggesting that the renewable energy sector was too expensive compared with existing generation technologies. My contention is that we have to look for more long term sustainable forms of energy that have a much reduced impact on our natural environment. It is difficult to completely iliminate all impact as illustrated by the new Cumbrian mine to produce coking coal for steel production. We will need steel for all these newable energy projects and I prefer we mine in our own back yard than import from questionable regimes half way around the world. The question of affordable electricity is more to do with inequality in society than the cost per unit of the capped rate.

There are many innovative approaches to energy storage being stimulated by the need to balance the grid. With regard to pump storage Rhe energise are a company proposing lower cost smaller scale pump storage using high density fluid giving 2.5 times the energy of water. The systems proposed do not require the large scale infrastructure and mountainous terrain typical of conventional pump storage. Alternatives to battery technology includes systems based on vertical weights in disused mine  shafts using gravity (see Gravitricity). These would help address short term peaks in demand. Probably some of these technologies will fall by the wayside but optimistically the challenges posed by renewables will be solved through.such innovation.

Anyway until the sun ceases energy production in 4.5 Billion years I guess solar energy will continue to play a part! ?

Andy

Hi Chris, yes I guess it was a bit bleak! 


You're quite right that we're a very innovative species  and will find solutions to the numerous challenges we've created. Geological timescales are so vast that it's quite difficult to appreciate how all our accumulated knowledge and understanding has been achieved in the "blink of an eye" in comparative terms.


​​​​​​I Guess we've gone off script from Zoom's original post but the narrative seemed to be suggesting that the renewable energy sector was too expensive compared with existing generation technologies. My contention is that we have to look for more long term sustainable forms of energy that have a much reduced impact on our natural environment. It is difficult to completely iliminate all impact as illustrated by the new Cumbrian mine to produce coking coal for steel production. We will need steel for all these newable energy projects and I prefer we mine in our own back yard than import from questionable regimes half way around the world. The question of affordable electricity is more to do with inequality in society than the cost per unit of the capped rate.

There are many innovative approaches to energy storage being stimulated by the need to balance the grid. With regard to pump storage Rhe energise are a company proposing lower cost smaller scale pump storage using high density fluid giving 2.5 times the energy of water. The systems proposed do not require the large scale infrastructure and mountainous terrain typical of conventional pump storage. Alternatives to battery technology includes systems based on vertical weights in disused mine  shafts using gravity (see Gravitricity). These would help address short term peaks in demand. Probably some of these technologies will fall by the wayside but optimistically the challenges posed by renewables will be solved through.such innovation.

Anyway until the sun ceases energy production in 4.5 Billion years I guess solar energy will continue to play a part! ?

Andy