The UK Low carbon Transition Plan (Cont'd)

[biffvernon]

Some people pay other people silly amounts of money to install solar water heating. In terms of EROEI, (energy return on energy invested), solar water heating is one of the best things you can do. Just don't get ripped off by a cowboy!

 

[Flyfisher]

Indeed. To be strictly fair, you should take into account how the pricey cowboys will spend their inflated fee - long-haul flights to the Carribean and a new Range Rover perhaps ? As NT used to say, money ends up being converted into energy.

 

[biffvernon]

Which is why I made mine using a lot of scrap materials.

 

[Flyfisher]

Absolutely. But when lots of money is exchanged for recycled materials (I'm thinking more of architectural salvage here, rather than bits of plumbing and caravan 'scrap') it certainly muddies the 'greeness' of a project.

 

[biffvernon]

And of course if you don't spend money on solar panels and such like then you have to buy your energy from someone else who has invested in power stations. They have a pretty long payback time too (in the case of nuclear power stations rather longer than the lifetime of the station). But the consumer doesn't put up the capital directly - that's done through the banking system that relies on an expanding money supply in a growing economy. And we all now know where that leads.

 

[Flyfisher]

Yes, it's a huge dilemma. Our entire system seems to be based on an ever-increasing economy, which must involve ever-increasing consumption of energy. As soon as the economy falters there is mass panic and anything goes to get things back on track, i.e. continuous growth. Since our system of government works on a five year cycle it is fairly blind to phenomena that work to a much longer cycle, e.g. climate change.

There were two interesting articles in New Scientist this week. One by George Marshall, founder of Climate Outreach Information network in the UK, recognising the fact that after almost 50 years of climate change research, symposia, conferences, documentaries, films and "80 million references on the internet", opinions polls still show that less than 10% of britons regard climate change as a major problem. In other words, the climate change 'camp' has singularly failed to get its message across to the general public and that simply preaching to people that the climate change debate is over and we 'must do this' or we 'must do that' has completely failed to emotionally engage the public. He is specifically critical of the IPCC, stating that it has no "human face at all: the only images on its website are the palace or beach resort where it will hold its next meeting".

The other, somewhat more optimistic, piece was about Craig Venter's (he of the humane genone project) joint venture with Exxon to genetically engineer algae to convert CO2 to hydrocarbons using photosynthesis (as they already do) but to excrete the hydrocarbons rather than store them, making them available as a harvestable energy resource. If it works, such scheme would produce inherently green oil products.

Of course we can't know if such research (or the gas hydrates discussed earlier) will ultimately help or whether some other technology will come to our rescue. But it seems easier to raise support for researching ways to work our way around impending doom than to argue that we must give up our luxurious lifestyles and leave all that valuable fossil-fuel stuff in the ground. Maybe we'll fail to find a solution and we'll end up back in the dark ages anyway, but at least we'll have gone down fighting.

 

[biffvernon]

Yes, George Marshall's article certainly brings some truths home.

COIN are a very worthwhile organization.

My nephew, Stig, has done some of their artwork. Some will find his website amusing/inspiring/depressing.

 

[Cloudscape]

Some great stuff on that website. I particularly like his own logo. I've been called on over the years to do the odd bit of (what I call) 'agitprop'. His work is excellent, lively and really varied.

 

[biffvernon]

Those interested in the financing of major wind projects may be interested in this article on The Oil Drum.

 

[philpjuk100]

The world’s first deep-sea tidal-energy farm will be built off the Welsh coast next year to provide electricity for 5,000 homes.

Eight underwater turbines, each 25 metres long and 15 metres high, are to be installed on the sea bottom off St David’s peninsula in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. Construction is due to start next summer and the proposed tidal energy turbines, described as “a wind farm under the sea”, should be operational by 2010.

The project has won the backing of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), which has contributed £2.5 million of the £10 million development costs

Lets hope the costs can be reduced for future turbines,£10 million for 8MW is a bit pricy! phil.

 

[Flyfisher]

I think that's the area known as "The Bitches", which is a favourite spot for white water kayakers. Huge tidal flow due to a 'natural barrage'.

 

[philpjuk100]

Yes thats the place,a beautiful part of the coast which hopfully will not be changed by the turbines,I would imagine that a switchroom/control room will be needed but I trust that this will not be too intrusive,phil.

 

[biffvernon]

Do you have any up to date info about that, Phil? There was a lot of talk about it a couple of years ago but it all seems to have gone rather quiet. Even the government don't seem to know much, judging by this piece of Hansard on 6th July 2009:

Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on the Lunar tidal power project off the Pembrokeshire coast; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kidney: We are aware of plans by Lunar and E.ON to develop an underwater tidal stream power project off the Pembrokeshire coast and my noble Friend
the Minister of State had a meeting with Lunar in January. However, we have not received a formal request for consenting approval.

 

[biffvernon]

Not entirely sure how this morning's ceremony affects the working of a solar pv system but, hey-ho.

A new photovoltaic generator has been installed at St Denys Church, Sleaford and will be dedicated by the Bishop of Lincoln at 11.30 July 29th.

 

[philpjuk100]

Hi Biff,not sure how the project is going but if it is still on it is certainly behind the original planned timescale,will investigate,cheers,phil.

 

[philpjuk100]

AN INNOVATIVE project to harness the power of the north Pembroke-shire coast was unveiled in St Davids this week.

The hydro-electric project aims to capture the power of the tidal forces off the St Davids coast near Ramsey Island.

A two-day exhibition was held at St Davids City Hall over the week-end by south Wales company Tidal Energy Ltd, to listen to local opinion and present their ideas.

The plan is to sink a triangle-shaped test rig with three turbines off the coast of Ramsey Island, to test the theory.

Some concern was shown by members of the public over the potential ecological damage the test turbine might cause, especially in an area famed for its puffin population.

Chris Williams, development director of Tidal Energy, and his development executive Sara Thomas, said that the company were waiting on the results of a survey this week. They explained that the energy of the oceans is vast and untapped, and harnessing this power now would significantly contribute to meeting renewable energy targets put in place to reduce the possible effects of climate change.

Tidal streams are fast-flowing volumes of water caused by the motion of the tide. These usually occur in shallow seas where a natural constriction exists which forces the water to speed up.

The technology involved is very similar to wind energy, but there are some differences.

Water is 800 times denser than air and has a much slower flow rate, which means that the turbine experiences much larger forces and movements.

This results in turbines with much smaller diameters, such as the DeltaStream technology, which was developed in Wales with minimal impact on the environment in mind, featuring blunt, slow-moving blades sitting on the sea bed and which can be installed and decommissioned with ease.

The turbines must either be able to generate power on both ebbs of the tide, or be able to withstand the structural strain. This technology is still in its infancy, despite the potential for a reliable and predictable source.

Mr Williams said: “I believe tidal stream technology has the advantage over tidal barrages when you compare environmental and ecological issues.

“This technology is less intrusive than onshore and offshore wind, and tidal barrages, and any hazard to navigation or shipping would be no more than that experienced by cur-rent offshore installations.”

Subject to required permits and planning consent, tests in Ramsay Sound would last 12 months, during which time a single unit would be deployed capable of generating sufficient energy to power 1,000 homes. from 20-04-09 seems to be scaled down and delayed,phil.

 

[biffvernon]

Link to that piece, please, Phil? (County Echo.)
I think this is a different project to the Lunar-E.On.

The big problem with all this off shore stuff is that the hostile environment throws up much greater difficulty (=cost + risk of more unknown cost) that easy to get at, tried and tested on-shore wind turbines. The long term potential return is enormous but the risk to venture capital in the short term is what the banks focus on.

 

[philpjuk100]

Yes Im sure there will be problems with tidal power in its early days but the sooner we can get some data the sooner they can be overcome,the early days of wind turbines had some bad problems and we still see videos of overspeeding turbines/lost blades and broken pillars.I spent my working life in test and development of turbo alternators and would like to see some progress made on renewable resources before I die! just a couple of miles upstream from me they are building a new gas/oil fired station at staythorpe.We will see more gas/oil and coal stations if we do not get the wind/water/tidal units up and running,phil.

 

[Pford75]

the risk to venture capital in the short term is what the banks focus on.

Not strictly true. Most PE firms use a combination of P/E multiple comparison valuations and DCF valuations. Whilst risk is a factor in the discount rate, most DCF would be over a 20 year period (at least) and probably longer for a 'utility / infrastructure' investment

 

[biffvernon]

When I said risk I mean the risk of getting the numbers for your letters wrong. That's greater for untried submarine work than previously tesded onshore.