Today: 22.Oct.2019
Cost of wind, solar, nuclear, coal (Andrew Kenny) South Africa
14.Mar.2019
Rate this item
(0 votes)

Andrew Kenny, physicist and mechanical engineer: South Africa faces energy calamity on two fronts. First is the disaster of Eskom. Second, and potentially worse, is the disaster of our REIPPPP (Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers’ Procurement Programme) and our lunatic IRP 2018 (Integrated Resource Plan). If the market could choose, our future electricity would be nuclear followed by coal, and perhaps gas or imported hydro in the future. There would be no wind or solar on the grid.

[Note by Howard "Cork" Hayden, physicist: Solar and wind are basically worthless without stabilization from the grid. Left to themselves, but with HUGE battery backup, they "could" run the zoo, but the backup systems would have to be able to provide FULL power for days --- occasionally weeks --- at a time. By contrast, a battery backup system to handle conventional power --- increased baseload (possibly all-nuclear) to include charging the batteries at times of low demand --- would have to store about 20% of one day's energy and deliver about 20% of the power demand. Civilization is far more likely to disintegrate from do-gooders trying to save the world from putative climate change than it is from people using fossil fuels.]

[Note by John Shanahan, civil engineer: In the USA, states are vying with each other to be first to have 100% renewable power with no fossil fuel backup. If political leaders don't come to their senses before installing all those wind turbines and solar panels and stick with fossil fuels and nuclear for baseload energy, their costs for electricity will go up, energy stability and reliability will go down and their global adversaries will be jumping for joy that their enemy is destroying itself - already happening in Germany.]

Wildflowers and beautiful coastline in South Africa Wildflowers and beautiful coastline in South Africa
Read 968 times Last modified on Thursday, 14 March 2019 17:24

Newsletter Subscription

  • Latest
  • Popular
  • Andrew Kenny, physicist and mechanical engineer: South…
  • Michael Shellenberger, Founder - President of Environmental…
  • Rob Jeffrey, Economic Risk Consultant: Poverty is…
  • David Wojick, Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow,…
  • Andrew Kenny, physicist and mechanical engineer: The…