Micropower - A mini-power station for your home
a ground source heat pump which produces 3-4 units of heat for every unit of electricity it uses
The BBC have a nice article describing how micropower can help meet our future energy needs.
Jo Collins of The Green Alliance is quoted as saying, "micro-CHP boilers, mini-wind turbines and Photo Voltaic arrays should become familiar household fixtures. Micro-generation must be taken more seriously."
It quotes a report by The Green Alliance which says "bringing energy generation closer to people in this way will forge the vital link between our concern about climate change and our energy consumption in the home".
Unfortunately for most people in the developed world energy is something taken for granted and yet it is absolutely fundamental to our current quality of life. To many people the idea that we might run out of cheap energy is absurd and is something they have probably never considered. Micropower generation literally brings energy issues home.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3650208.stm
posted by James at 12:05 am
6 Comments:
You asked to come by and visit. Here I am.
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This is errant nonesense. Energy prices will continue to decline as they have for the last 2,000 years.
Now it is true that some forms of energy will rise in price (bought a bag of charcoal lately?) but the general price level will continue to decline.
Fear will not keep the star systems in line. It is a stupid way to promote change. Profit works much better. Just look at illegal drugs distribution for an example.
Sorry to disappoint you.
Fear is alive and well as a motivator of humans. Just look at the current climate of fear of being killed by an act of terrorism. Statistically there is much more chance of being killed in an automobile accident. Yet auto safety is not an international political issue. Indeed in the United States large SUVs like the Hummer are even exempt from safety standards and subject to a tax credit.
I've also read (I forget where) there is more chance of being killed by a donkey than a terrorist.
Humans still are, and always have been motivated by both the carrot and the stick.
M.Simon:
I notice that you do not give any explanation of why energy prices will decline. I'd venture to say that humans will certainly be putting alot research into getting down the price of energy, but that does not guarantee results.
Micropower:
Assuming energy generation equipment prices get really cheap (Mr Fusion?), then I'd venture that one would be generating the energy at the point where it is needed, rather than setting up a large, and therefore costly, infrastructure to deliver the power.
- Factory (forgot to put in my last comment)
If I recall correctly, M. Simon's business is the construction of LNG terminals. His interests depend on us perceiving the risk of future natural-gas price increases as low, so that we don't do something like mandating best-practice insulation in all new construction or anything else which would substantially cut demand for gas. His future depends on everyone else going about business as usual, even when the world has turned upside-down.
In my experience he has never posted verifiable figures or linked to sources.
EP,
I think you're confusing M.Simon with Matthew Simmons of peak oil fame (from simmonsco-intl.com) whereas M.Simon describes himself as an industrial controls designer and Free Market Green.
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