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Energy prices

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  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    I saw this too @tui34, good forward planning. We are with Enedis and have a Linky meter so we may have our hot water tank cut off for a couple of hours in the afternoon which won't affect us.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    @Nanny Beach harnessed tidal power could be huge globally, but isn't currently


    I was just noting what the speaker in the video said about the long term. France is suffering greatly from nuclear maintenance problems, shutting down much of the infrastructure. The speaker noted that with warming sea temps it becomes harder to cool nuclear reactors. And with (recent) drought and high temps, hydro generates a lot power.

  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    I read somewhere that France has issues with nuclear because some number of their reactors use rivers rather than the sea for cooling, so they are more prone to higher temps. I've not actually checked if that's true
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
    https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/seawater-splitting-system-could-scale-up-renewable-hydrogen-production/4013332.article

    I just can't believe that there isn't a solution to hydrogen production and compression. The most abundant element - and the current extraction produces fresh water and hydrogen - isn't that a double whammy when another big issue going forward appears to be fresh water?
    On top of that, from what has been reported over the past months, China has been cornering the market in heavy metal and battery components - https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/nov/25/battery-arms-race-how-china-has-monopolised-the-electric-vehicle-industry.

    Hence my comment on the politics thread about Liz's comments at the Tory Conference saying we'd learnt from the Russia experience and relying too much on one supplying area. Asimov would appreciate all this.

    UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    steveTu said:
    https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/seawater-splitting-system-could-scale-up-renewable-hydrogen-production/4013332.article

    I just can't believe that there isn't a solution to hydrogen production and compression. The most abundant element - and the current extraction produces fresh water and hydrogen - isn't that a double whammy when another big issue going forward appears to be fresh water?


    Basic physics. That's your thing isn't it? The efficiency of electrolysis is - what - 75%? Technical development might get it as high as 95% eventually. A hydrogen boiler might be 95% efficient if it was as good as the best mains gas boilers. So 1kWh of solar electricity gets you 0.9kWh of heating if you're lucky - more like 0.7kWh currently.

    Whereas 1kWh of solar electricity gets you 2 or 3 kWh of heat from a heat pump.

    Hydrogen for some uses where electricity can't be used makes sense. But not for heating buildings. We'd need 3x as much land for wind turbines and solar panels, and we don't have enough
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    "The devil is in the details".
  • steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
    OK - can I then ask why aren't all properties being converted to heat pumps now? What is the issue that is stopping it? Would my house be as warm, for the same cost, with a heat pump as with a boiler?


    PS where did you get basic physics was my thing? I did get an 'O' level 50+ years ago though.



    UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    steveTu said:
    OK - can I then ask why aren't all properties being converted to heat pumps now? What is the issue that is stopping it? Would my house be as warm, for the same cost, with a heat pump as with a boiler?

    Zero political will.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    edited October 2022
    As electricity prices are rising, presumably " feed in tariffs" for pv panels are going up too? 
    If not , why not?
    Maybe @raisingirl will know? She's clever and knows about this stuff.
    Devon.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    zero political will (ZPW)
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