Author Topic: Open discussion on future Power.  (Read 10576 times)

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Offline Simon

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Re: Open discussion on future Power.
« Reply #25 on: March 21, 2011, 09:48:07 pm »
The first step is to redesign the whole system. We are now argueing in the UK about how confusing energy plans offered by companies are. yea they are confusing. it should work like this: the more you use the more you pay. At the moment you pay say £0.21/KW but be a wasteful bastard and after a certain amount used you pay £0.11/KW, it should be the other way around. The government "say" they want to make us greener and more efficient: fine lets start making the first few watts cheap and put the price per KW up as you use more, that way these people that can afford to be wastefull will pay their fare share and I'll be rewarded for being a good citizen in using as little power as possible. Infact better still if you exceed the next price limit all of the power you use is charged at the higher rate. That will fix the idiots that think it is better to leave everything on because that way it works better.

Next they need to start educating people. I really can't beleive how thick soe poeple are. they still beleive that wind turbines are noisy and that energy saving bulbs need to be on for 3 hours before you make a saving. The government also allow the sale of very very poor quality bulbs that bring discredit to the technology in the name of private companies profits (and still the consumer is ripped off)
 

Offline Time

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Re: Open discussion on future Power.
« Reply #26 on: March 21, 2011, 10:32:14 pm »
I like to stay very current on the fringes of sciences and technologies:

http://www.greendesignbriefs.com/gdmbriefs

Theres always good reading there concerning renewable energy tech stuff.
-Time
 

Offline Excavatoree

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Re: Open discussion on future Power.
« Reply #27 on: March 22, 2011, 12:49:37 pm »
The stupidest use of Photovoltaic Panels was an installation I saw that used two panels, approximately 1.25 meter by 2 meter to power a resistance hot water heater used to heat a quantity of water.  Why would one waste PV panels in this way when a direct heat exchanger is so much more efficient?  Am I missing something?
What about using both PV cells and heat exchangers? A solar cell is only something like 20% efficient and works better at lower temperatures anyway so it could be cooled by water which is heated for home use.


Ah-ha!  They use the PVs so it will still work when it's cold, I didn't consider that.  However, I agree that both would be better - use the heat exchanger above temp "X," (whatever that turns out to be for best balance) while storing electricity for other uses.  Only use the stored energy to heat the water when it becomes too cold for the heat exchangers to work.

Practically, since "grid power" is available at that location, the most economic installation probably would be heat exchangers only, and use an electric heater when necessary, but that wouldn't have the "feel good" factor.   Somehow, "reducing grid usage by 80-90 percent" isn't good enough, and "100 percent off grid" is better, even though the cost, overall, is worse.  (those cells could be put to better use elsewhere.)
 

Offline Simon

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Re: Open discussion on future Power.
« Reply #28 on: March 22, 2011, 12:54:25 pm »
even hot water panels will make a difference in the cold
 


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