Renewable Energy Is The Future

[freebeard]

Arise, Zombie thread!

It's still early days for renewable energy. We treat photons as particles instead of waves. This limits efficiency to ~30%.

Thermophotovoltaics eliminates the complex and expensive turbines. Breakthrough Solar cell DOESN'T Run On Sunshine!

[oil pan 4]

It's been less than a year since the last post.

[freebeard]

Is there a hard cut-off?

Green energy is not the future.
They tried [and], failed.

Where do you think we'll be in a year. has green energy failed or is it politicians shooting everyone in the foot.

[freebeard]

In episode 1860 Scott Adams reports that Elon Musk says Fusion Powah will never be viable.

Supposedly obtaining and transporting the fuel. This sounds like Helium 3 from the Moon.

[redpoint5]

I figured SA was your inspiration to mention fusion. Scott had been proclaiming fusion to be worked out, but simply an engineering problem (as if the engineering was a trivial matter). Now he's changed his tune due to Musk.

I'll never say never, but there's got to be good reasons why we don't have fusion yet. I mean, that's also why we don't have batteries that don't suck and solar so cheap that it displaces everything else... that it's hard to make a thing better (or work in the first place).

Speaking of Helium 3, those who like Sci-Fi should watch Moon.

[Piotrsko]

Alternative energy is not easy or cheap compared to fossil fuels (duh). When the ROE becomes phrohibitve, fossil fuel will end. Perhaps mankind will survive itself

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Alternative energy is not easy or cheap compared to fossil fuels (duh). When the ROE becomes phrohibitve, fossil fuel will end.

Some "green" energy resources may eventually be quite cost-effective against oil, natural gas and coal, yet it will also depend on the added value of other byproducts to justify an initial investment.

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Alternative energy is not easy or cheap compared to fossil fuels (duh). When the ROE becomes phrohibitve, fossil fuel will end. Perhaps mankind will survive itself

Since every aspect of renewables depends on fossil fuels the time line on that plan is approximately never.
Solar can cover peak day time loads, that's about all its good for and wind can cover about 20% before it becomes a liability. Hydroelectric will do whatever it can do, which appears to be to lose market share.
Also each power grid needs some capacity capable of a cold grid restart. Wind, solar, nuclear are useless for this. Hydroelectric, coal and natural gas are ideally suited.
As you can see 2 of the grids have most of the hydro.

[redpoint5]

I expect to go net-zero in about 40-60 years.

[oil pan 4]

The green crusaders think net zero will be 2035.
They high as giraffe balls.
There will be no net zero, net zero as presented. All it means is energy poverty for most of the population.
The only option is go nuclear. With an abundance of energy we can focus on mindless repetitive actions like capturing CO2 and shooting it down old oil and gas wells. Yeah we ain't doing CO2 sequestration if people can't charge their electric cars or turn on their home hvac.
The current path will be more of the same. Building up and trying to use renewables that work when they want to work but as soon as their is an energy safu like we are seeing in Europe everyone goes running back to quick and dirty solutions like coal and natural gas.