Posted on 11/19/2015 8:58:46 AM PST by rktman
At best solar power is a niche industry, applicable only to sites where other power sources cannot be extended, due to isolation or difficult access for power generated elsewhere.
Maybe a form of beamed wireless energy can be introduced that allows these inaccessible sites to connect to the larger grid.
For cheap, sustainable electrical power, not much can maintain a steady base supply, day and night, better than nuclear-generated electrical power.
Atomic power plants can only run in two modes, flat out producing full power, or offline and producing no power.
The no-power would come when necessary plant maintenance must be done. It is not feasible to idle only part of the capacity of a single unit, it is all or nothing.
But nuclear-generated power need not be just light-water uranium fission plants. There is another design, Thorium-powered Molten-Salt plants, which are VASTLY more flexible, the working versions have been tested, and they do not have many of the long-term handicaps that limit the application of Uranium-fueled plants.
For one thing, there is no way a “China syndrome” could ever occur, and Thorium-fueled plants do not have a “runaway” scenario, The molten salt would spill into a containment structure, and the reaction would simply stop.
Thorium, by itself, is not “fissile”, but it is considered “fertile”. In the presence of small quantities of fissile material, the thorium is converted to a different isotope, then into a different element, protactinium-233, which has a very short half-life, becoming uranium-233, the same stuff that is the power generation substance in the uranium-powered reactor, and itself is the “fissile” material.
Suspended in the molten-salt solution, the uranium-233 then produces the heat necessary to make the atomic pile into a power-generation source. And with virtually NO long-lived radioactive isotopes, that make the atomic “waste” of uranium-powered plants such a long-term danger to the environment.
And the best part? The existing stock of “depleted” uranium fuel rods may be utilized to provide the fissile “sparkplug” to start the reaction in the thorium-fueled plant.
We have a much more extensive and relatively easily extracted supply of thorium throughout the world than there is of uranium-238 and its various isotopes.
We have the technology. We have the demand. We even have the capital that could be committed, if all these other fool’s errands were not constantly being thrust up there as an “alternative”.
With widespread adoption of this thorium-fueled molten-salt nuclear technology, most countries could become energy-independent within just a few decades, as this becomes the primary source of electrical generation for residential and industry, and the use of hydrogen fuel cells for vehicular power becomes economically feasible.
In terms of Energy, I consider a matter of National Security to be Energy Independent, which means not relying on ragheads for our oil.
+1
Forbes has a great article about Walmart gone green
In california, Walmart has allowed solar array manufacturers to fix solar arrays to their stores. The solar company puts up all the hardware and gets the subsidies and tax credits. They sell the juice to Walmart at a price lower than the electric company.
By squeezing the solar co, Walmart gets a price break on the juice and the company foots the capital outlay bill
Now that’s smart business.
When Solar and Wind Power are cost effective, PG&E (Ca power company) would be paying me to use my roof for solar and the half+ acre open/bare lot to put up windmills. I would not have to pay anything, and I would be paid for any excess power.
That ain’t happening and will not.
Man, I just LOVE IT when you provide a GRAND-SLAM with the TRUTH!!!
“Like ethanol, a huge waste of money.”
Also, the damage to our car engines can be severe.
My wife had a 67 Camaro V8 for decades that got about 20 miles per gallon and was a great vehicle.
When we got ethanol shoved on us, a friend who owned a private car repair/tune up shop informed us that her engine would be lucky to last 4-6 months with the ethanol bs.
4 months later the engine basically caved in on itself.
We replaced it with a Californicator approved V8, which got about 12 miles per gallon with the gasohol bs.
We were lucky it didn’t catch on fire and set our carport and house on fire like many older vehicles did with gasohol in the first few weeks.
Ethanol is murdersome on small engines carburetors too. We have too many to mention from lawn mowers to log splinter.
I finally figured out how to beat it: Add a additive that’s designed to reduce ethanol damage, add gasoline preservative.
And, the big one, mix the gas with 2 cycle motor oil, just like you would for a 2 cycle engine. Do this for all engines, regardless if they are 2 or 4 cycle.
We have two diesel tractors. With the new fuels they became very hard starting. Then one ruined an injector, which was hundreds of dollars to fix. The mechanic said newer fuels do not have the lubrication quality of older. He said mix 2 cycle oil. I did, now they start easier and seem to have more power.
What I’m doing in both cases is providing more lubrication for the fuel system and valves.
It’s a pain to do all this mixing, it costs money to do it. But in the long run it saves engine damage.
It’s an example of a government with too much power mandating things on the population so some group can get rich and/or have more power.
We have the government our founding fathers warned us about.
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