Comments for Nuclear Townhall http://www.nucleartownhall.com Sat, 11 May 2013 16:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 Comment on LLEWELLYN KING: How to Move the Nuclear Project Forward by stevek9 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/llewellyn-king-how-to-move-the-nuclear-project-forward/#comment-318196 stevek9 Sat, 11 May 2013 16:31:00 +0000 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/?p=40686#comment-318196 The reason most reactors are being built in China and elsewhere is those nations are developing and need more electricity. At the moment there is no need for large-scale additional electric generation in the US. That will change as coal and nuclear plants are retired and when the speculative boom from fracking is over, and NG soars in price. The reason most reactors are being built in China and elsewhere is those nations are developing and need more electricity. At the moment there is no need for large-scale additional electric generation in the US. That will change as coal and nuclear plants are retired and when the speculative boom from fracking is over, and NG soars in price.

]]> Comment on WILLIAM TUCKER: How to Ruin an Electric Grid — Germany Shows Us How by Bill_Woods http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/william-tucker-how-to-ruin-an-electric-grid-germany-shows-us-how/#comment-318186 Bill_Woods Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:55:00 +0000 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/?p=40364#comment-318186 Well, over the course of the day, wind & solar generated 473 GW-h, for a respectable average of 19.7 GW. Over the whole week, they generated 1810 GW-h, for an average of 10.7 GW. Of course, they bottomed out at 1.1 GW.... The economics are worst for Germany itself. They're paying FiT rates of more than 10 eurocents/kW-h for power which in the midday and weekends is worth a small fraction of that. Well, over the course of the day, wind & solar generated 473 GW-h, for a respectable average of 19.7 GW. Over the whole week, they generated 1810 GW-h, for an average of 10.7 GW. Of course, they bottomed out at 1.1 GW….

The economics are worst for Germany itself. They’re paying FiT rates of more than 10 eurocents/kW-h for power which in the midday and weekends is worth a small fraction of that.

]]> Comment on WILLIAM TUCKER: How to Ruin an Electric Grid — Germany Shows Us How by stevek9 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/william-tucker-how-to-ruin-an-electric-grid-germany-shows-us-how/#comment-318185 stevek9 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:27:00 +0000 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/?p=40364#comment-318185 Yes 3 hours. That doesn't get a lot of press does it? That's the problem. As far as exporting ... that is now wrecking the grids and economics of Poland and the Czech republic. They are getting ready to install switches to prevent that dumping, on those rare instances when the wind is blowing hard and the sun is shining in Germany, to protect their own grids from instability. Germany's problems are only going to increase. Yes 3 hours. That doesn’t get a lot of press does it? That’s the problem.

As far as exporting … that is now wrecking the grids and economics of Poland and the Czech republic. They are getting ready to install switches to prevent that dumping, on those rare instances when the wind is blowing hard and the sun is shining in Germany, to protect their own grids from instability. Germany’s problems are only going to increase.

]]> Comment on WILLIAM TUCKER: How to Ruin an Electric Grid — Germany Shows Us How by Bill_Woods http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/william-tucker-how-to-ruin-an-electric-grid-germany-shows-us-how/#comment-318183 Bill_Woods Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:05:00 +0000 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/?p=40364#comment-318183 My comment seems to have gotten lost in moderation, but wind & solar produced 35+ GW for three hours on April 18. Total production was almost 70 GW during that period. Total <i>consumption</i> was less than 60 GW, with the difference exported; the spot market price was less than 3 eurocents/kW-h. My comment seems to have gotten lost in moderation, but wind & solar produced 35+ GW for three hours on April 18. Total production was almost 70 GW during that period. Total consumption was less than 60 GW, with the difference exported; the spot market price was less than 3 eurocents/kW-h.

]]> Comment on WILLIAM TUCKER: How to Ruin an Electric Grid — Germany Shows Us How by Glaucus http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/william-tucker-how-to-ruin-an-electric-grid-germany-shows-us-how/#comment-318179 Glaucus Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:52:00 +0000 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/?p=40364#comment-318179 15 seconds. 15 seconds.

]]> Comment on WILLIAM TUCKER: How to Ruin an Electric Grid — Germany Shows Us How by stevek9 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/william-tucker-how-to-ruin-an-electric-grid-germany-shows-us-how/#comment-318177 stevek9 Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:42:00 +0000 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/?p=40364#comment-318177 "Renewables set record in a Germany," says the headline this week. "Windmills and solar panels produced 35,905 megawatts, the equivalent of 26 nuclear plants." It would be interesting to know how long that lasted .... 15 minutes? “Renewables set record in a Germany,” says the headline this week. “Windmills and solar panels produced 35,905 megawatts, the equivalent of 26 nuclear plants.”

It would be interesting to know how long that lasted …. 15 minutes?

]]> Comment on WILLIAM TUCKER: Bad Week for Biofuels by Chris http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/william-tucker-bad-week-for-biofuels/#comment-318171 Chris Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:17:00 +0000 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/?p=40208#comment-318171 "If your solar system fails (which, of course, it should not do" Like if the earth fell out of orbit, and plummeted into the sun? Yeah, that shouldn't happen. More seriously, I don't share Lovins wishful thinking that renewables are actually reliable. Even in ideal conditions they fail to provide power on a regular basis, to say nothing of the robustness of the collection systems and attached electronics. “If your solar system fails (which, of course, it should not do”

Like if the earth fell out of orbit, and plummeted into the sun? Yeah, that shouldn’t happen.

More seriously, I don’t share Lovins wishful thinking that renewables are actually reliable. Even in ideal conditions they fail to provide power on a regular basis, to say nothing of the robustness of the collection systems and attached electronics.

]]> Comment on WILLIAM TUCKER: Bad Week for Biofuels by uzurbrain http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/william-tucker-bad-week-for-biofuels/#comment-318169 uzurbrain Sat, 20 Apr 2013 20:26:00 +0000 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/?p=40208#comment-318169 I quit using the 10% ethanol in my car when I discovered that my gas mileage went down by 10%. Even though they sell the stuff for 10 cents less per gallon, that is only a 3% savings in price per gallon and does not offset the loss in mileage. Maybe if I was driving a vehicle that got 50, 60 MPG it might be worth the 10 cents less, but not now. I quit using the 10% ethanol in my car when I discovered that my gas mileage went down by 10%. Even though they sell the stuff for 10 cents less per gallon, that is only a 3% savings in price per gallon and does not offset the loss in mileage. Maybe if I was driving a vehicle that got 50, 60 MPG it might be worth the 10 cents less, but not now.

]]> Comment on WILLIAM TUCKER: Bad Week for Biofuels by gcowan49 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/william-tucker-bad-week-for-biofuels/#comment-318168 gcowan49 Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:38:00 +0000 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/?p=40208#comment-318168 "Amory Lovins’ doll-house view of the world that we didn’t need the big bad oil companies ..." -- the very companies he acknowledged having worked for for many years in a Democracy Now interview on July 16, 2008. “Amory Lovins’ doll-house view of the world that we didn’t need the big bad oil companies …” — the very companies he acknowledged having worked for for many years in a Democracy Now interview on July 16, 2008.

]]> Comment on WILLIAM TUCKER: Bad Week for Biofuels by Ken Madsen http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/william-tucker-bad-week-for-biofuels/#comment-318167 Ken Madsen Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:27:00 +0000 http://www.nucleartownhall.com/?p=40208#comment-318167 putting your lunch in your gas tank leaves you with poor mileage, and no lunch. putting your lunch in your gas tank leaves you with poor mileage, and no lunch.

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