Comments on: My Working Model: Oil to Solar http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/ Energy and Economics Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:59:59 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: gregor.us http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/comment-page-3/#comment-3703 gregor.us Thu, 07 May 2009 15:36:55 +0000 http://gregor.us/?p=1284#comment-3703 Thankyou for your keen observations. You are suggesting that California needs redundancy and a less tightly coupled grid system. As we have seen, many of the systems in the US have progressed in scale to the superjumbo level without much attention given to being robust.<br><br>Cheers. Interesting name you got there. Never seen that before. .:-)<br><br>G Thankyou for your keen observations. You are suggesting that California needs redundancy and a less tightly coupled grid system. As we have seen, many of the systems in the US have progressed in scale to the superjumbo level without much attention given to being robust.

Cheers. Interesting name you got there. Never seen that before. .:-)

G

]]> By: gregor.us http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/comment-page-3/#comment-1632 gregor.us Thu, 07 May 2009 12:36:55 +0000 http://gregor.us/?p=1284#comment-1632 Thankyou for your keen observations. You are suggesting that California needs redundancy and a less tightly coupled grid system. As we have seen, many of the systems in the US have progressed in scale to the superjumbo level without much attention given to being robust.<br><br>Cheers. Interesting name you got there. Never seen that before. .:-)<br><br>G Thankyou for your keen observations. You are suggesting that California needs redundancy and a less tightly coupled grid system. As we have seen, many of the systems in the US have progressed in scale to the superjumbo level without much attention given to being robust.

Cheers. Interesting name you got there. Never seen that before. .:-)

G

]]> By: Gregor Smith http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/comment-page-3/#comment-1517 Gregor Smith Wed, 06 May 2009 20:32:08 +0000 http://gregor.us/?p=1284#comment-1517 Hi, Gregor Smith from Oklahoma here. I just wanted to thank you for the good article and explain that California must consider seriously the grid ramifications of an extra heavy earthquake, expected in the next few years. By spending money on grid improvements further away from the coast, they can be prepared more readily to emergency situations that will necessitate the need for energy outside the coastal regions. I recommend that they concentrate on minigrid improvements, so that each component can stay up in case of catastrophic failures. If you'd like to talk, email at <a href="mailto:gregors@att.net" rel="nofollow">gregors@att.net</a> a member of the <a href="http://Pickensplan.com" rel="nofollow">Pickensplan.com</a> group set. Hi, Gregor Smith from Oklahoma here. I just wanted to thank you for the good article and explain that California must consider seriously the grid ramifications of an extra heavy earthquake, expected in the next few years. By spending money on grid improvements further away from the coast, they can be prepared more readily to emergency situations that will necessitate the need for energy outside the coastal regions. I recommend that they concentrate on minigrid improvements, so that each component can stay up in case of catastrophic failures. If you'd like to talk, email at gregors@att.net a member of the Pickensplan.com group set.

]]> By: gregor.us http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/comment-page-3/#comment-1289 gregor.us Tue, 05 May 2009 12:23:16 +0000 http://gregor.us/?p=1284#comment-1289 Storage is a fascinating area. There will be lots of money made by innovators who can both juice throughputs and stem losses from classic heat/energy exchange processes. <br><br>G Storage is a fascinating area. There will be lots of money made by innovators who can both juice throughputs and stem losses from classic heat/energy exchange processes.

G

]]> By: gregor.us http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/comment-page-3/#comment-1323 gregor.us Tue, 05 May 2009 12:23:16 +0000 http://gregor.us/?p=1284#comment-1323 Storage is a fascinating area. There will be lots of money made by innovators who can both juice throughputs and stem losses from classic heat/energy exchange processes. <br><br>G Storage is a fascinating area. There will be lots of money made by innovators who can both juice throughputs and stem losses from classic heat/energy exchange processes.

G

]]> By: gregor.us http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/comment-page-3/#comment-1288 gregor.us Tue, 05 May 2009 12:21:29 +0000 http://gregor.us/?p=1284#comment-1288 While I see no broad role for biofuels, I do think they can be used best in the locales where they are produced. Sending biofuels by pipeline takes a marginally uneconomic product and makes matters worse. However, as we have built plants across the upper Midwest and the Plains, my suggestion would--yes--use those to fuel trucks and farm equipment locally. There is indeed a small net energy pick-up from biofuel production. But, it simply doesn't scale out on a national configuration once you get into pipelines, etc.<br><br>G While I see no broad role for biofuels, I do think they can be used best in the locales where they are produced. Sending biofuels by pipeline takes a marginally uneconomic product and makes matters worse. However, as we have built plants across the upper Midwest and the Plains, my suggestion would–yes–use those to fuel trucks and farm equipment locally. There is indeed a small net energy pick-up from biofuel production. But, it simply doesn't scale out on a national configuration once you get into pipelines, etc.

G

]]> By: gregor.us http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/comment-page-3/#comment-1321 gregor.us Tue, 05 May 2009 12:21:29 +0000 http://gregor.us/?p=1284#comment-1321 While I see no broad role for biofuels, I do think they can be used best in the locales where they are produced. Sending biofuels by pipeline takes a marginally uneconomic product and makes matters worse. However, as we have built plants across the upper Midwest and the Plains, my suggestion would--yes--use those to fuel trucks and farm equipment locally. There is indeed a small net energy pick-up from biofuel production. But, it simply doesn't scale out on a national configuration once you get into pipelines, etc.<br><br>G While I see no broad role for biofuels, I do think they can be used best in the locales where they are produced. Sending biofuels by pipeline takes a marginally uneconomic product and makes matters worse. However, as we have built plants across the upper Midwest and the Plains, my suggestion would–yes–use those to fuel trucks and farm equipment locally. There is indeed a small net energy pick-up from biofuel production. But, it simply doesn't scale out on a national configuration once you get into pipelines, etc.

G

]]> By: gregor.us http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/comment-page-3/#comment-1287 gregor.us Tue, 05 May 2009 12:14:10 +0000 http://gregor.us/?p=1284#comment-1287 I am neutral on Wind. I like Wind as a new source of PowerGen and am impressed with the EROEI of course. I also accept that it's easier for the financial community to see the Wind payback time than it is with Solar. They perceive more clarity on the investment return.<br><br>What concerns me about Wind, and excites me about Solar, is the issue of moving parts--and--the fact that you really can site-place Solar in geographical spots where the energy flow is likely to be steadier than in even the best Wind spots.<br><br>That said, where the huge failure (and thus opportunity) probably lies in Wind and Solar is that the financing community does not accept that PowerGen Kw from current sources (Nuke, NG, Coal) will be much more expensive 10 years from now. As long as one trods along believing that current costs don't move much, then why be interested in Wind and Solar.<br><br>Of course I take a different view. I see the Kwh as potentially 3-5 times more expensive in 10 years, principally because so much of the world will be getting onto a Grid and off of liquid fuels.<br><br>G I am neutral on Wind. I like Wind as a new source of PowerGen and am impressed with the EROEI of course. I also accept that it's easier for the financial community to see the Wind payback time than it is with Solar. They perceive more clarity on the investment return.

What concerns me about Wind, and excites me about Solar, is the issue of moving parts–and–the fact that you really can site-place Solar in geographical spots where the energy flow is likely to be steadier than in even the best Wind spots.

That said, where the huge failure (and thus opportunity) probably lies in Wind and Solar is that the financing community does not accept that PowerGen Kw from current sources (Nuke, NG, Coal) will be much more expensive 10 years from now. As long as one trods along believing that current costs don't move much, then why be interested in Wind and Solar.

Of course I take a different view. I see the Kwh as potentially 3-5 times more expensive in 10 years, principally because so much of the world will be getting onto a Grid and off of liquid fuels.

G

]]> By: gregor.us http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/comment-page-3/#comment-1325 gregor.us Tue, 05 May 2009 12:14:10 +0000 http://gregor.us/?p=1284#comment-1325 I am neutral on Wind. I like Wind as a new source of PowerGen and am impressed with the EROEI of course. I also accept that it's easier for the financial community to see the Wind payback time than it is with Solar. They perceive more clarity on the investment return.<br><br>What concerns me about Wind, and excites me about Solar, is the issue of moving parts--and--the fact that you really can site-place Solar in geographical spots where the energy flow is likely to be steadier than in even the best Wind spots.<br><br>That said, where the huge failure (and thus opportunity) probably lies in Wind and Solar is that the financing community does not accept that PowerGen Kw from current sources (Nuke, NG, Coal) will be much more expensive 10 years from now. As long as one trods along believing that current costs don't move much, then why be interested in Wind and Solar.<br><br>Of course I take a different view. I see the Kwh as potentially 3-5 times more expensive in 10 years, principally because so much of the world will be getting onto a Grid and off of liquid fuels.<br><br>G I am neutral on Wind. I like Wind as a new source of PowerGen and am impressed with the EROEI of course. I also accept that it's easier for the financial community to see the Wind payback time than it is with Solar. They perceive more clarity on the investment return.

What concerns me about Wind, and excites me about Solar, is the issue of moving parts–and–the fact that you really can site-place Solar in geographical spots where the energy flow is likely to be steadier than in even the best Wind spots.

That said, where the huge failure (and thus opportunity) probably lies in Wind and Solar is that the financing community does not accept that PowerGen Kw from current sources (Nuke, NG, Coal) will be much more expensive 10 years from now. As long as one trods along believing that current costs don't move much, then why be interested in Wind and Solar.

Of course I take a different view. I see the Kwh as potentially 3-5 times more expensive in 10 years, principally because so much of the world will be getting onto a Grid and off of liquid fuels.

G

]]> By: Wind4me http://gregor.us/oil/my-working-model-oil-to-solar/comment-page-3/#comment-1226 Wind4me Sun, 03 May 2009 22:38:00 +0000 http://gregor.us/?p=1284#comment-1226 Gregor, U know I love the Wind Option and with Charlie Munger talking WIND and SOLAR ((and of course I prefer the WIND side)), I think its '''game over'' to WIND Power.....check out VESTAS and APWR and lets chat, ZOLT and Hexcel interesting plays 4 Wind Power by the carbon fiber plays 4 wind blades Gregor, U know I love the Wind Option and with Charlie Munger talking WIND and SOLAR ((and of course I prefer the WIND side)), I think its '''game over'' to WIND Power…..check out VESTAS and APWR and lets chat, ZOLT and Hexcel interesting plays 4 Wind Power by the carbon fiber plays 4 wind blades

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