a reply to:
CptGreenTea
I am always looking for alternate power sources. I am always willing to discuss potential alternate power sources. I have 45 years of experience
working with power generation and distribution privately and a degree from one of the top US universities to verify my adeptness in that field; I am
pretty hard to trick when it comes to electrical phenomena. So I probably come across at times as being against alternate energy. I'm certainly not,
but I am also not going to fall for every idea that comes down the pike.
Solar power is great for niche applications which are low-voltage DC and isolated. It is expensive to set up, but once installed it is also
dependable. It simply cannot handle high-voltage AC applications well, and certainly not under heavy current loads.
Wind power is a good idea, but I believe we are approaching the point where we will have detrimental effects on weather. Taking too much energy form
the prevailing winds means less wind energy to drive weather; that's a dirt simple observation.
Hydro power is the best, cleanest energy we have. My area uses it a lot (although my power in this section of the grid is nuclear). Properly
maintained, it also allows for a better ecology; thanks to the actions of TVA, we have wildlife and waterlife that is becoming nationally recognized.
But we are running out of rivers to dam.
Nuclear seems to be the best developed energy source we have for now, although we do need more research into alternate nuclear fuel use and better
disposal methods.
Wave energy is under development, although I wonder at how slowly it seems to be progressing. About a decade ago, I chose a particular wave energy
project for a report for college. It was a pre-commercial unit that was to be deployed in the ocean off the coast of Denmark. The idea was to create
an artificial platform around the unit that would mimic the action of waves on a shoreline, causing the height to increase. The waves would break over
an upper reservoir, which would then drain through a modified hydro generator back into the ocean. Considering that the device used proven generation
methods applied to wave energy instead of dams, I considered it one of the more promising ideas. Power distribution would be limited to more-or-less
coastal areas, but that is a lot of people who live along the coasts.
Fossil fuels are something that I do not see as going away, but considering the geopolitical gyrations associated with natural gas and oil, any
substitution to any degree to a less volatile fuel source is a good thing. I also believe that the ultimate energy solution is a combination of many
different sources... one big reason why I disagree with those who simply condemn fossil fuel use in any capacity. It has uses, but the more we can
move to alternates the more we escape the negative aspects of fossil fuel use.
I do NOT believe in Global Warming, but I do not need to use a colorless, odorless plant food as a scapegoat to support my position on fossil
fuels.
TheRedneck