Energy Security

[Sucker Punch]

Not sure whether this has already been reported on a similar thread but it's worth repeating;

The future is electric so we better start preparing for it:

YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn drove quietly out of the Japanese automaker's soon-to-open headquarters Sunday in the first public viewing of its new zero-emission vehicle.

It was the first time the external design was shown of Nissan Motor Co.'s environmentally friendly electric automobile, set to go on sale in Japan, the U.S. and Europe next year. The blue hatchback had a sporty design and a recharging opening in the front.

Designer Shiro Nakamura said the vehicle was designed to avoid a stereotypical futuristic design.

"This is not a niche car," he said. "We didn't make it unusual looking. It had to be a real car."

Nissan has promised that the Leaf, which goes into mass-production as a global model in 2012, will be about the same price as a gas-engine car such as the 1.5 million yen ($15,000) Tiida, which sells abroad as the Versa, starting at about $10,000.

Ghosn described the Leaf as a "powerful car, like having a turbo" charger except with no delay in response since there is no gear shift.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090802/...japan_nissan_1


Nissan unveils zero-emission hatchback Leaf | Green Business | Reuters

[fiannafailure]

Yes real progress is now being made in electric cars and with new battery technologies almost with us, the next question is, where do we get the electricity to power them, from carbon based technologies such as gas turbine power plants or from renewables. This is an opportunity to really have an energy market in Ireland, rather than the artificial one we have now.

[Sucker Punch]

Yes real progress is now being made in electric cars and with new battery technologies almost with us, the next question is, where do we get the electricity to power them, from carbon based technologies such as gas turbines or from renewables. This is an opportunity to really have an energy market in Ireland, rather than the artificial one we have now.

Further on the upside, couldn't electric cars be used as a sort of micro grid, siphoning off surplus energy during the night when it's cheaper and available, then pumping back the excess during the day?

The batteries would be the perfect compliment storage solution for wind.

[myksav]

Further on the upside, couldn't electric cars be used as a sort of micro grid, siphoning off surplus energy during the night when it's cheaper and available, then pumping back the excess during the day?

The batteries would be the perfect compliment storage solution for wind.

Yes, it can be done but it's not efficient. It would depend on people not using their car during the daytime. For storage, SoI's idea is streaks ahead as full power is available with that method.

[geruptheyard!]

Further on the upside, couldn't electric cars be used as a sort of micro grid, siphoning off surplus energy during the night when it's cheaper and available, then pumping back the excess during the day?

Electricity is the same price all day and night, and just as readily available ! I dont see what sort of micro grid they would provide.

Has everyone automatically dismissed the Nuclear option that would end Irelands energy dependancy instantly !

[myksav]

Electricity is the same price all day and night, and just as readily available ! I dont see what sort of micro grid they would provide.

Has everyone automatically dismissed the Nuclear option that would end Irelands energy dependancy instantly !

Instantly? You mean we could set one up overnight? Excellent.

Oh wait, it takes a couple of years to build one.

Nuclear reactors need fuel, most, if not all from outside the State.

Pebble-bed reactors MAY be a system that could work here, they're scalable. Normal reactors need to be big to be efficient.

Uranium is a finite resource like oil, a switch to nuke would be just swapping one dependency on finite resources to another finite resource when we have a practically infinite resource on the west coast.

Use nukes where this isn't available, like land-locked countries, and keep developing that technology. Just in case the wind ever stops blowing and the oceans stops making waves.

[fiannafailure]

Further on the upside, couldn't electric cars be used as a sort of micro grid, siphoning off surplus energy during the night when it's cheaper and available, then pumping back the excess during the day?

The batteries would be the perfect compliment storage solution for wind.

You have got to consider also the total charge / recharge cycles allowed by battery technology at present. The very best nowadays is about 800 cycles, how do you fancy changing your car battery every year
or so, and for an electric car, that would be very expensive.

[geruptheyard!]

Instantly? You mean we could set one up overnight? Excellent.

Oh wait, it takes a couple of years to build one.

Nuclear reactors need fuel, most, if not all from outside the State.

Pebble-bed reactors MAY be a system that could work here, they're scalable. Normal reactors need to be big to be efficient.

Uranium is a finite resource like oil, a switch to nuke would be just swapping one dependency on finite resources to another finite resource when we have a practically infinite resource on the west coast.

Use nukes where this isn't available, like land-locked countries, and keep developing that technology. Just in case the wind ever stops blowing and the oceans stops making waves.

Your right it is a finite source and does have a very long lead time. But you cant deny the potential to provide upto 50 percent of the countries needs from one system. Wind and water power generation is 15 -20 years away from being any more commercial than it is now. Wind energy may come from a renewable source but the cost of wind farms are very very high and also produce outside our country. So whilst we wait for the turbines to be built a stimulus for the country in particular the central belt or south west could be a nuclear plant. At least 12 years construction time, a whole bunch of jobs afterwards.

Wave generation is at a very early stage and wind is not going to get any better than what it is so why not explore other options that can make a huge difference too!

[myksav]

Your right it is a finite source and does have a very long lead time. But you cant deny the potential to provide upto 50 percent of the countries needs from one system. Wind and water power generation is 15 -20 years away from being any more commercial than it is now. Wind energy may come from a renewable source but the cost of wind farms are very very high and also produce outside our country. So whilst we wait for the turbines to be built a stimulus for the country in particular the central belt or south west could be a nuclear plant. At least 12 years construction time, a whole bunch of jobs afterwards.

Wave generation is at a very early stage and wind is not going to get any better than what it is so why not explore other options that can make a huge difference too!

Wind power is old tech, but still being improved, the only serious problem with wind is fluctuation which the SoI storage system is needed. Wave power does need development. I don't call for the Gov't to do it, in fact I'd much prefer if they got out of the way completely on this and let people at it.

For a small country like Ireland, nukes, as they are, wouldn't be too viable and they could be a point-source failure. Unless you have (in Ireland) more than three plants. With two, if one fails, what happens when the maintenance shutdown is needed on the other? No power being produced and we'd have to import electricity.

[fiannafailure]

Your right it is a finite source and does have a very long lead time. But you cant deny the potential to provide upto 50 percent of the countries needs from one system. Wind and water power generation is 15 -20 years away from being any more commercial than it is now. Wind energy may come from a renewable source but the cost of wind farms are very very high and also produce outside our country. So whilst we wait for the turbines to be built a stimulus for the country in particular the central belt or south west could be a nuclear plant. At least 12 years construction time, a whole bunch of jobs afterwards.

Wave generation is at a very early stage and wind is not going to get any better than what it is so why not explore other options that can make a huge difference too!

geruptheyard
While you are perfectly entitled to promote nuclear energy, I can't let you away with your comments on renewables, wind energy is as Myksav says a developed technology and this year, Northern Ireland connected it first tidal generator to the Grid. together with the storage and conditioning of the S of I proposal, Ireland will be the renewable capital of the world