Let’s begin with Poe’s law, which is an “adage of Internet culture stating that, without a clear indicator of the author’s intent, it is impossible to create a parody of extreme views so obviously exaggerated that it cannot be mistaken …
Capacity factor is a percentage, calculated by dividing the unit’s actual electricity output by the maximum possible output, i.e., it’s a measurement of how fully a unit’s capacity is used. Nuclear has a huge CF, because, except for downtime for …
Assessing the Relative Value of Energy Resources Read More »
I often point out that solar-powered vehicles are impractical in the extreme, but here, I have to say yowza. I’m going to guess that there are 600 solar panels here, times 400 Watts is 240 kW or 322 HP.
Market conditions are forcing the shuttering of coal plants, which are being replaced by natural gas and renewable energy. So why do we have a reversal of the trend towards lower emissions that began in 2005?
From the American Energy Society: “Capacity” – perhaps the most misused term in energy. On average, wind farms have a capacity factor of about 34%; meaning they work about a third of the time.
One of the challenges facing solar and wind energy is capacity factor, i.e. the ratio of the total energy generated by a device to the total energy that it’s potentially capable of generating (multiplied by 100, to make a percentage). …
Renewable Energy Products that Cause Embarrassment To the Industry Read More »
Frequent commenter/contributor Cameron Atwood asks: What are your thoughts on this? Here’s how much of the world would need to be covered in solar panels to power Earth. There are three main issues that this analysis overlooks:
Some of my colleagues in my “pro-nuke” discussion group are, sadly, fond of bashing renewables; the top players seem to take joy in spreading data that supports their hypothesis that solar and wind are a waste of time and resources. …
Solar, Wind, and Nuclear: Different Strengths and Weaknesses Read More »
Here’s what Lockheed Martin and its technology partner Ocean Power Technologies are doing in wave energy. I’ve seen similar concepts, and I’ve always been skeptical. Will this generate electricity? Of course. Will it do so cost-effectively? I’m not sure.
