The energy thread

[Catfish]

@Mapuc: The new australian invention produces hydrogen by a special type of "solar cell", directly. So these are not only normal solar cells, they get the necessary energy by sunlight and directly produce hydrogen, and lots of it. They already are the power plant.

"The device is estimated to produce up to 93 litres of hydrogen a square metre an hour.“
"So if you have 10 sq metres of this unit, you can power a whole house … to replace your consumption of natural gas at home for cooking and heating"
I cannot quite imagine this is true, but ... 93 litres of hydrogen an hour per square meter! Probably only under optimal conditions (strong sunlight, moist air), but this alone is a full tank for a contemporary car.

Seeing is believing, of course.

re Nuclear plants i am all for letting the german three ones work longer, after all the environmental damage has already been done, from impact of the total energy ballance to heating up rivers, to burning 160 kgs of enriched uranium a day (that have to be dumped somewhere), to all accidents, and the risks remaining when trying to dismantle them (hint: you cannot).
The way humanity uses nuclear energy is 70 years old, using nuclear energy to power steam engines. This is ridiculous and dangerous.
But Habeck is not informed enough to decide this, imho. You cannot switch reactors on and off, they need weeks to power up properly, and likewise to cool down. Ballancing the daily electric load by a combination of pump settings, uranium rod managing and steam turbines alone is hazardous.
This kind of powerplant is still unsafe, even without external disasters like in Fukushima. Better not think of the inherent unstable and unsafe russian reactors, some new ones now being built in Hungary

So ok let the german ones run a year more and then see what has happened to energy production, and if alternative methods can then replace them AND coal plants.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Catfish

"So if you have 10 sq metres of this unit, you can power a whole house … to replace your consumption of natural gas at home for cooking and heating"
I cannot quite imagine this is true, but ... 93 litres of hydrogen an hour per square meter! P

Its no perpetuum mobile, the moisture and air taken out of the air, are then not in the regional air anymore, obviously. Changes in micro-climate, more dryness? We know that in huie metropoles with huge and high buildings you even have city-created micro weather zones.



I do not mean to kill this new idea in its cradle, but I am sceptical regarding that there are no costs involved. These we must learn about, and only when we know it we can make an educated assessment of how useful or dangeorus this concept might be.

[Jimbuna]

Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced plans to cap average household energy bills at £2,500 a year from October.

The support will last for two years, she announces in the Commons, saying "this is the moment to be bold"

A typical household's gas and electricity bill had been due to rise from £1,971 to £3,549 in October.

Businesses are also getting a support package for six months which will provide "equivalent support"

After the six-month period, further support will be targeted at "vulnerable industries", Truss says.

The government is also lifting the ban on fracking - which involves extracting gas and oil from shale rock.

[Jimbuna]

PARIS, Sept 5 (Reuters) - France will send gas to Germany if needed while Germany stands ready to provide it with electricity, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, saying this showcased European solidarity in the face of the energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine.

European gas prices surged, share prices slid and the euro sank on Monday after Russia stopped pumping gas via a major supply route, in another warning to the 27-nation EU as it scrambled to respond to the crisis ahead of winter.

"Germany needs our gas and we need power from the rest of Europe, notably Germany," France's president told a news conference following a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The necessary connections for France to deliver gas to Germany when needed would be finalised in the coming weeks, he said, adding that France, which had long been a net exporter of electricity, will need help from its neighbours because of technical problems its nuclear plants face.

Macron, however, said that he did not understand demand for a third gas link between France and Spain, rejecting calls to increase capacity with a new pipeline.

He added he was open to changing his mind on that point, should Scholz or Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez argue convincingly for it.

Ahead of a meeting on Friday of EU energy ministers, Macron said France was in favour of buying gas at a European rather than a national level and called for European Union measures to control energy prices.

He said it was necessary to act against speculation on energy prices at EU level and also said France was in favour of putting a cap on the price of pipeline Russian gas.

Macron also repeated calls for all to turn down air conditioners when it's hot and to limit heating to 19 degrees Celsius this winter.

"Everyone has to do their bit," he said.

[Jimbuna]

[Dargo]

The US will help Europe build gas reserves before winter, White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said. According to her, "in order to further diversify sources of energy resources, the United States will closely cooperate with its allies".

[Catfish]

Good to hear!

Just wondering, France has a lot of nuclear plants, why are they all down?

[Jimbuna]

Millions of households in the UK will still need extra help, despite a multi-billion government plan to ease the impact of higher energy bills, campaigners have warned.

On Thursday, the government announced a plan to help households with their energy bills for two years.

Businesses will be protected from steep energy price rises for six months.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said the poorest families still faced an £800 shortfall in household income.

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition said more support would be needed to help the poorest families over the winter.

And business groups have also voiced concern over the lack of detail explaining how the new price cap will work for firms.

The Federation of Small Businesses said the plan was "sparse on detail".

While the government has promised support for the most vulnerable industries, highlighting the hospitality sector, it has said there will be a review in three months' time to decide where the help should be targeted.

Small firms warned they cannot remain in "limbo" for the next three months.