100% Renewables Could Be Closer Than We Think

[mmonk]

The stunning set of data, cost profiles and market analysis produced in the first few weeks of calendar 2013 have confirmed what many had long suspected – that the global energy markets are changing faster than anyone had thought possible.

The implications for the incumbent energy industry – be they generators, network operators or retailers – couldn’t be more significant. The business models that supported the ageing infrastructure are broken, and if they can’t adapt to the new environment, they may soon be out of business. The idea of a rapid change to a largely renewable energy grid no longer seems aspirational, it could be inevitable.

-snip-


- The price of wind energy (and in some isolated cases solar PV), is already cheaper than coal and gas in Australia. This gap is likely to widen considerably in the coming decade.

- By the time new baseload capacity is required in 10 years time, other technologies, including solar thermal with storage, and concentrated solar PV, will also be cheaper than coal and gas. Marine energy and geothermal could be close to parity.



Clean Technica (http://s.tt/1zRkT)

Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/16/100-renewables-could-be-closer-than-we-think/#fFAhgBOWyLPdeitf.99

[Berlum]

1. Give me the warm power of the sun...the spirit of living things

[tarheelsunc]

2. I read a few months ago about a breakthrough in the UK, where they can make fuel from CO2 now

This is the sort of stuff AMERICA would be mastering, if only we'd properly invest in research. They're planning to construct a factory by 2014 that can create a TON of petroleum a day just by using carbon dioxide and solar energy.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/exclusive-pioneering-scientists-turn-fresh-air-into-petrol-in-massive-boost-in-fight-against-energy-crisis-8217382.html

It's absolutely ridiculous how big oil has hijacked our government. Eventually the fossil fuels will run out, and then what will the companies do for profit? They of all people should be researching new forms of energy!

[exboyfil]

3. Read the article carefully

Making petrol from CO2 and H2 is not a huge deal with sufficient energy. In actual operation energy would have to be expended collecting the CO2 from the atmosphere and cracking the H2O to form H2. Then you will have more energy forming the long chain petrol molecules from the C and H. You still need further energy to transport the petrol in tankers or pipelines.

Probably more thermodynamically efficient to convert to H2 power using H2O and solar or wind. I don't see going to the trouble to collect atmospheric CO2 to then turn around and burn it again. Petrol (gasoline and diesel) is nice because of not needing to convert existing infrastructure, but not a long term solution.