Government throws its weight behind wind farms

[ManDownUnder]

I could tell you about a projected 10 geothermal power plants proposed... But then I'd have to kill you

So if I give you some names - can you tell them?

[Lou Girardin]

So when are NZ putting up their first nuclear power plant?

It's against our religion.

[davereid]

Its very unlikely NZ will go nuclear, at least with current technology. Its nothing to do with nukes=bad. Its just that nuclear power plants have both a maximum output, and you guessed it a minimum. At night time NZs load drops below the practical lowest output of a nuke power station.

Wind power looks great on paper, but without greenhouse "kyoto" credits its actually not very cost effective. Thats because a typical wind generator is massive, costs a lot to build and a lot to maintain. It has a limited life, and all the expensive materials made to use it were mined and processed using fossil fuels. And after you have done all that, its only good for about 1-1.5 Mw.

By comparison, racing V8 motors make half of that and you can just go and buy a diesel that will make 80 Mw using fossil fuels, or biodiesels.

Solar power is similar. Useful for water heating, but in photovoltaic form very inefficient. I've heard it said that more fossil fuel goes into the manufacture of a photovoltaic array than it will produce during its life span.

The greenies will ensure we dont get much more hydro, so I think NZ faces a real crisis. Aussie currently use coal as the major fuel source. Of course they will be able to go nuclear and get abundant cheap power. We will find it much harder.

[WINJA]

So when are NZ putting up their first nuclear power plant?

ITS THE ONLY VIABLE AND GREEN ALTERNATIVE , BRING IT ON

[Colapop]

So if I give you some names - can you tell them?

This month only 2 for 1 special...

[Ixion]

Its very unlikely NZ will go nuclear, at least with current technology. Its nothing to do with nukes=bad. Its just that nuclear power plants have both a maximum output, and you guessed it a minimum. At night time NZs load drops below the practical lowest output of a nuke power station.

.

So, at night use the "extra" power to pump water BACK up into the hydro dams. The power effectively costs nothing and then next day the water can be run through again to generate more electricity. Sorted.

[WINJA]

I Was Thinking Of Putting A Prop On A Car Alternator Via Gearbox To Produce My Own Electricity Then Storing It In A Few Marine Batteries And Then Putting It Trhu An Inverter , Id Like To Give The Power Companys The 2 Fingers , We Have A Lot Of Power Cuts Here And I Bought A 850 Watt Generator From Bunnings , We Had A Power Cut And I Supplied All Our Power Needs Except Water Heating Off That One Generator For The Night And It Only Use $2 Worth Of Petrol

[davereid]

Yep, I've got a 3kw lombardini diesel genset, and I can run it for about $0.20 per kw/hr - not much more than grid electricity. I have to pay for oil and filters, but then again I dont have to pay $1 day connection charge.

Not that I actually use it at home... !

[James Deuce]

If they throw Parakura Horomia behind them we're all doomed.

[jeremysprite]

a) whoever said Fusion power plants would work, stop watching Spiderman and read a science text book lol
b) Aside from minimum output of a nuclear reactor, NZ can't afford to run one
c) putting all those PVC (photov. cell) things on everyone's roofs and solar heating etc is EXPENSIVE. People would rather pay $0.25 kw/hr(or whatever the measurement is) than $0.15 kw/hr +$25,000 per household for techo gadgets.

[Hitcher]

Wind farms are bullshit. They're expensive to build and a blot on the landscape -- ecovandalism at its finest. Like prisons, mental institutions and state houses, most New Zealanders will claim to be blissfully in love with them, until somebody wants to build them next door. They are nothing more than a sop to the diesel-SUV-driving kindy mums. There are more cost-effective and less obtrusive ways of generating electricity.

And don't get me started on biofuels.

[James Deuce]

c) putting all those PVC (photov. cell) things on everyone's roofs and solar heating etc is EXPENSIVE. People would rather pay $0.25 kw/hr(or whatever the measurement is) than $0.15 kw/hr +$25,000 per household for techo gadgets.

That's easily covered by the tax surplus. They won't do it because the Govt owned transmission company would go broke over night. It's one thing they could do to reduce carbon emissions right NOW.

I get sun all day, and even when it is pouring with rain photo-voltaic cells produce 2-20% of their max rated output depending on season. A few marine batteries in the garage and you'd only be touching the national grid in long periods of bad weather and the depths of Winter.

Add a small wind generator in places like Wellington and Palmerston North and you've really got it covered.

[degrom]

That's easily covered by the tax surplus. They won't do it because the Govt owned transmission company would go broke over night. It's one thing they could do to reduce carbon emissions right NOW.

I get sun all day, and even when it is pouring with rain photo-voltaic cells produce 2-20% of their max rated output depending on season. A few marine batteries in the garage and you'd only be touching the national grid in long periods of bad weather and the depths of Winter.

Add a small wind generator in places like Wellington and Palmerston North and you've really got it covered.

Wind generator's are cheap!!!!

http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView....Max=&SUBCATID=

[jeremysprite]

That's easily covered by the tax surplus.

Still don't see the monetary benefit to us...

But I see your point. An 75-80% sufficent house wouldn't cost that much to set up, 'specially if you live near a river/creek, or very windy.

On another note, I was thinking today, wouldn't a wind turbine on a hybrid car be great for efficiency? Although it wouldn't be perpetual motion, it could recharge the batteries.

[Biff]

Wind farms are bloody great. I lived on the edge of one once. The yocals kicked up a stink before they were erected, saying they would be an eye sore and noisy. Once they went up pretty much everyone realised they were talking shite. They hardly made a whisper and look quite cool against the skyline.