Micro-power hailed as cheap, safe energy of future

[G_j]

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/green/story/0,9061,1516939,00.html

Micro-power hailed as cheap, safe energy of future

Thinktank sees nuclear subsidy as bar to full use of renewables

Paul Brown, environment correspondent
Wednesday June 29, 2005
The Guardian

Renewable power, particularly schemes where thousands of homes have their own microgenerators for heat and electricity, are a far cheaper way of meeting the UK's energy needs and combating climate change than nuclear stations, says a report out today.

The New Economics Foundation, a radical thinktank, compares the costs of nuclear energy and renewables, their contribution to the economy, and security of electricity supply for Britain.

It says renewable energy is quick to build and is abundant and cheap to harvest. It is also flexible, safe, secure and climate friendly.

"The opposite conclusion is only possible if renewable energy technologies are negatively misrepresented and if the numerous weaknesses, high costs and unsolved problems of nuclear power are glossed over."

..Article continues..

[stepnw1f]

1. Very Interesting!!!

This is an answer to the righties.

[whistle]

2. That's correct, we'll just set up generators on bikes in all of the

...health clubs across the country and make it mandatory that all U.S. join a club and generate micro-energy power for one hour every day. Install them in homes also.....300,000,000 KWH per day generated.

[darkism]

6. Plus people won't be so obese anymore.

Two birds with one stone!

[whistle]

12. Right, no more obesity problem in America

[Mythsaje]

8. You're kidding, right?

Besides the fact that mandating people do ANYTHING isn't exactly a liberal ideal, I can see a thousand problems with the application of such a law.

[silverweb]

3. Clean energy -- one of my obsessions.

Bookmarked to study later, after work.

Thanks, G_j!

:hi:

[G_j]

11. not a bad 'obsession'

at all!

Hi Silverweb :hi:

[htuttle]

4. I think this is the unit they are talking about

http://www.whispergen.com/

I posted a thread in Environment and Energy about a pilot test in the UK where they were going to install these units in 550 homes, but I don't have access to search right now, so I can't find it.

Here's the press release about it:
http://www.whispergen.com/main/WTNews/

They use a Stirling Engine to generate the power, and appear to be very efficient. The basic design could also be adapted to a wide variety of fuel sources.

[yurbud]

7. discover mag had bit on solar thermal with stirling

instead of expensive photovoltaics, you just have mirrors focus sunlight on water to boil it and turn stirling.

Hillbilly Hitler art:



Blog:

[htuttle]

9. Almost any temperature difference can run a Stirling engine

...Even just the heat from your hand.
http://www.stirlingengine.com/ecommerce/product.tcl?usca_p=t&product_id=31

However for *best* efficiency for generating power, you'd want a temperature difference between the hot cylinder and the cold cylinder to be about 500F. Slightly hotter than the temperature that paper burns (which is 451F, of course).

Stirling engines don't have a lot of torque, but they are very efficient. Great for turning an electric generator.

[G_j]

10. fascinating

thanks for the link. What a cool little engine! :think:

[yurbud]

5. simpler description: ENERGY INTERNET

Jeremy Rifkin talked about it in the Hydrogen Economy.

This is the real solution, but no corporations are getting behind it because it can't be monopolized and used to blackmail ratepayers like large scale generation like nuke and coal, and gas can do.

We need to push for this and more importantly, when buying or upgrading a house, just go ahead and do it.

The grid in most places can already accomodate this.

Hillbilly Hitler art:



Blog:

[G_j]

13. ===

[Eric J in MN]

14. Recommended (nt)

nt