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Originally Posted by aerohead
Renewables are competitive today.If total costing is the metric.
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Competive for peak, intermittent electricity only. They have a hidden cost in that near 100% thermal backup is still equired to prevent blackouts and maintain baseload stability.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead
Once capital costs are amortized out and written off,renewables have free fuel for the remaining life of the 'plant.'
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New electricity farms are not renewable. They are rebuildable. Offshore wind turbines have a 30% failure rate in 7 years. Onshore is 18 years to 30% failure. Grid scale solar PV predicates a 25 year replacement of the panels. They may last a bit longer. But the invertors will need two replacements in that time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead
I can't imagine anyone arguing the fabulous energy density of liquid fuels,but as to climate change,the argument is,that we can't afford to burn it;and we need to transition away from internal combustion as fast as we can.
If you want to set aside fossil fuels for mining and agribusiness it's fine by me.
For the exception of aircraft,most other mobility issues can be handled without it.
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Oil is 30% of total energy and personal transportation is only 30% of oil. Electricity is only 20-30% of total enegy depending on what type of industry your area features. So a complete transition of all personal transportation and all electricity will bring most of the efficiency increases we are trying for but still leave 60% or more of the total energy consumption we need that cannot be easily converted to electric. Do not fool yourself. We do not have it made to just put up some wind turbines and solar panels. There will be a big 2-3X deficit in critical energy intensive undertakings that we rely on such as mining and refining steel and concrete and big agg growing enough food. Our lifestyles will have to undergo the Great Simplification as our one time pulse of fossil fuels leave us.