Bring (clean) energy to the consumer

Event 1: Energy Creep
SURVEYS of hundreds of UK households reveal that people who have made their houses more energy efficient are more likely to indulge in small excesses - turning up the heating, for example, or keeping it on for longer.


Small excesses add up to large costs. The results of the studies - seven of them in total - suggest that such energy creep could wipe out as much as half of the anticipated savings from making homes more energy efficient (Building Research & Information, vol 38, issue 1).

Comment 1:

It sounds like those who increase the efficiency of their houses are getting increased comfort, paying less for it and reducing their carbon emissions at the same time. That sounds like a win-win-win to me and it should be promoted as such.

Event 2: From hippy to nuclear enthusiast

In previous blog posts I have regularly referred to a book by Steward Brand that I enjoyed reading. From actively fighting nuclear energy - he is now arguing for nuclear energy. Included below is an interesting article about Steward Brand. 

Link to article on Steward Brand

Yesterday, I also included a link to a recommended 30-minute video-clip in which another nuclear enthusiast, Bill Gates, talks about the challenges we're facing and the potential that lies in TerraPower. He talks about small nuclear reactors that will feed on waste from current nuclear reactors - and because we do not have to refill fuel or remove waste from it during the 60 year operation-cycle it is more secure than any nuclear reactor today.  

Comment 2: Bring (clean) energy to the consumer 

Many of the latest developments discussed in this blog will bring "energy production" closer to the consumer (Bloom boxes, PowerChips etc) - which will reduce the need for more capacity and redundancy in the power grid. The vulnerability will be reduced - because a distributed network of power generators are less likely to fail than fewer and bigger units.     

We will still need a power-grid and there is a heated debate about the investments in a better power grid (smart-grid, more capacity, more redundancy etc.)

• Avoid the big price differences we have seen in Norway this winter. The south-west region had more electricity available than the east/northern parts - but the grid did not have enough capacity to even out these differences     
• Enable export of clean energy from Norway to Europe (energy saved in private households can be used to replace coal-based electricity in Europe)
• Establish Norway as the green battery of Europe (pump water to the dams in the mountains when there is "too much" electricity generated in Denmark (windmills) and Spain (solar-powered energy). 
• Will probably result in more expensive electricity in Norway. I have argued that this is a better way to control inflation than higher interest rates - but many disagree with my arguments (will drive energy saving projects, will create more jobs, will limit inflation etc.)        

Event 3: Summary Projected Costs of Generating Electricity -- 2010 EditionThis joint report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), is the seventh in a series of studies on electricity generating costs. It presents the latest data available for a wide variety of fuels and technologies, including coal and gas (with and without carbon capture), nuclear, hydro, onshore and offshore wind, biomass, solar, wave and tidal as well as combined heat and power (CHP). It provides levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) per MWh for almost 200 plants, based on data covering 21 countries (including four major non-OECD countries), and several industrial companies and organisations. For the first time, the report contains an extensive sensitivity analysis of the impact of variations in key parameters such as discount rates, fuel prices and carbon costs on LCOE. Additional issues affecting power generation choices are also examined.

The study shows that the cost competitiveness of electricity generating technologies depends on a number of factors which may vary nationally and regionally. Readers will find full details and analyses, supported by over 130 figures and tables, in this report which is expected to constitute a valuable tool for decision makers and researchers concerned with energy policies and climate change.

The figure below shows regional ranges of LCOE for nuclear, coal, gas and onshore wind power plants (at 5% discount rate)

 

Hints and Tips:

Checklist before you invest in a heatpump: 

1. Does the supplier have a good reputation?
• Is the vendor a certified refrigeration fitter (if in Norway, preferably with the approval of the Norwegian Heat pump Association - NOVAP) ?
• Ask for references and check them!
2. Verify that the product has the capacity and features to meet your needs.
• It is better to buy a pump that is too big than too small.
• Check that the pump has stepless adjustment / inverter
• The pump should have R410A as refrigerant.
3. Check that the heat pump is adapted to local weather conditions
• In Norway the winters can be very cold and it should therefore have a heating cable in the drainage channel (to avoid ice that blocks the flow of condensated water)
• Get a statement from the reseller that specifies that the pump is suitable for the climate where you live. Some manufacturers say that their pumps do not operate well in salty air, something which is common along the coast.
4. Make sure you get a detailed written contract
• Does the price include installation and verification of the installation?
• If you also have a balanced ventilation system, do they verify that they work well together?
• Do they offer a services contract? You need yearly maintenance (change filters etc.) and a health check of the system once a year is recommended.
• Include all the promises from the supplier