Japan Earthquake

Japan Earthquake | Page 1536

@WolfDK : no, in Schleswig Holstein near Hamburg. the old DDR plants are all shutdown since more than a decade.
by Edano 6/8/2011 12:38:23 AM

@Edano Thats the one i am close to
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 12:38:55 AM

veenie just posted this online.wsj.com read it and weep
by elainekirk 6/8/2011 12:40:07 AM

@WolfDK @Edano Forgive the simplicity of my question, but how will Germany compensate for such a 10GW shortage of energy ?
by Reed 6/8/2011 12:43:11 AM

@reed the public willno doubt start to use electricity more wisely , Japan has mamaged to cut back
by elainekirk 6/8/2011 12:45:15 AM

g'night all @angie & dean hope you both feel better soon
by elainekirk 6/8/2011 12:46:11 AM

@elainekirk Night sleep well!! and thank you!
by Angie 6/8/2011 12:47:19 AM

@Reed : since two weeks we live with only 4 out of 17 nukes. it is a test if the power lines can be orderly rearranged to deal without atomic energy. we have no shortages and problems so far. germany has a power reserve of 20%. until 2015, when the first nukes will be closed, we expect to increase renewables in the same capacity. and then we have gas and coal plants that do not work on full power. all together, there will be no greatér problems. the plans are not new, they just get accelerated now. it will be flanked by laws of energy saving in private households and new buildings.
by Edano 6/8/2011 12:48:39 AM

@Reed My question exactly when i said :Merkel is 10 GW short
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 12:49:44 AM

we have a program running that subventionates buying of energy saving products like refrigerators.
by Edano 6/8/2011 12:51:19 AM

it is all possible, if you break the power of the energy cartel, that has no interest in energy saving and giving up their old money mashines.
by Edano 6/8/2011 12:52:47 AM

@Edano "and then we have gas and coal plants that do not work on full power. all together, there will be no greatér problems." What about increased pollution ? the commitment by the government to reduce CO2, stressing existing (old) plants and running without spares ?
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 12:53:41 AM

@WolfDK : you surely know that Germany has over-fulfilled the kyoto protocol ?
by Edano 6/8/2011 12:54:32 AM

i do
'
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 12:54:50 AM

@Edano there are lots of power saving changes that can be made at the residential level. More efficient light bulbs actually make a major dent in residential useage. New appliances and people just being aware of their waste can have a significant impact. I see idiots around here who will have a 3500 sq foot house so cold you could store meat in it and will have their interior front door wide open with only a glass storm door closed. We had programs in the 1970's to cut office and business power wasting. Companies used to leave all the lights on at night especially in skyscraper buildings.
by lillymunster 6/8/2011 12:56:07 AM

nobody yet knows if we will need more fossils, we will see.
by Edano 6/8/2011 12:56:26 AM

10 GW 10.000.000.000 watt, thats a LOT of refrigerators.
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 12:57:17 AM

GW/hours
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 12:57:41 AM

@Edano I hope that it works.

@Nancy Here's the DOE slideshare of the US/Japanese radiation levels outside of the evacuation zone from the 6th&13th... blog.energy.gov
by Reed 6/8/2011 12:58:25 AM

@lillymunster : we have subventions for new windows and wall damming of old houses, and subventions for solar cells. friends who own solar panels on their houses say, they make a good bargain. they pay themselves off. i don't have them - not yet.
by Edano edited by Edano 6/8/2011 12:58:37 AM

@Reed it will definitely work:)
by Edano 6/8/2011 1:00:53 AM

What i am saying is that nuclear energy is not all bad the real problem is how its administrated, somebody (non profiting org) need to do regular inspections. A plant should NOT automatically get its license renewed, that should require extensive inspections and tests, to PROVE the facility is fit for a renewal.
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 1:02:53 AM

Every time I go to Germany, I see more and more house cover by solar panels. In Bayern I think you find more house cover by panels more with them than without. In the contry side at list.
by Majj 6/8/2011 1:05:03 AM

@WolfDK : what do you want to leave to your children ? gigantic masses of high radiation waste, radioactive oceans and no go areas all over the world ? do you want a higher background radiation for them ? how long shall this work ?
by Edano 6/8/2011 1:06:32 AM

Yep, but the average power output is in the low
100's of watt..
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 1:06:45 AM

@Edano solar panels and tying into the power grid is still impossible here. If you want panels you have to front all the full cost yourself and find someone willing to do the final electrical work. Many states you have to then run dual systems in your house. A national mandate for integrated residential systems and some programs to help with the up front costs would make a huge difference here. Guess why it isn't happening...
by lillymunster 6/8/2011 1:07:24 AM

@Edano Thats not what i am saying, but for the time being there is just no better alternative that produces huge amounts of energy.
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 1:07:48 AM

i think it is time to think intelligent. we need integrated, decentral systems.
by Edano 6/8/2011 1:09:00 AM

@lillymunster : we have a guarantee by the state that the solar generated power must be paid.
by Edano 6/8/2011 1:10:26 AM

@lillymunster @Edano Solar panels on homes are not conducive to monopoly control, hence the political difficulties the US has for advocating them.
by Bobby1 6/8/2011 1:11:06 AM

@Edano self generation and better economy of usage can bring down the need. There have been private sector programs in the US for manufacturers to rethink their systems. Many find they are throwing away heat that could be used in another system, saving them a bunch of money and lowering their utilities. In the US we got used to wasting so much power people didn't think about it.
by lillymunster 6/8/2011 1:11:18 AM

@Bobby1 exactly !
by Edano 6/8/2011 1:11:31 AM

@lillymunster We can wire them into the utility, up to 7KW/h is allowed IIRC, but the efficiency is just not there yet.. especially when you live somewhere where its usually overcast. That said there is something on the steps regarding solar panels afaik.

by WolfDK 6/8/2011 1:11:31 AM

@Bobby1 and Bobby wins the prize. This is exactly what is holding back alternative power in the US.
by lillymunster 6/8/2011 1:11:54 AM

@lillymunster of course !
by Edano 6/8/2011 1:12:43 AM

our farms all have biogas tanks that deliver energy in rural regions.
by Edano 6/8/2011 1:14:10 AM

@WolfDK We live almost to the Canadian border (abt. a 5 hr drive) and we can get enough sun to use solar panels. We have constant wind but wind farm installation is stopped because the electrical utility doesn't want to put in transmission lines. We have tons of untapped energy here being held back by a private company that profits from the status quo
by lillymunster 6/8/2011 1:14:22 AM

they make energy out of rotting shit.
by Edano 6/8/2011 1:14:48 AM

Here is something for thoughts try to measure what your new fancy Vista/Windows 7 PC is consuming, remember to add in the 21 inch flatscreen ;)
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 1:15:10 AM

that's one of the reasons i run xp on all my mashines.
by Edano 6/8/2011 1:16:03 AM

@Edano @lillymunster The US would prefer dangerous and expensive technologies like nuclear power because it affords opportunities for political control. Decentralized renewable technologies frees people from this grip. I remember Jimmy Carter was advocating renewables, and when Reagan got elected the gov't changed the tax laws, and the big energy companies gobbled up the small solar and wind companies.
by Bobby1 6/8/2011 1:16:15 AM

@Edano There are a couple of farms over in MN with the biogas systems but they are still an oddity here. Mpls,MN has a biomass generation plant that burns trash with a scrubbing system. I don't think it makes electricity but it provides heat for a large portion of downtown buildings.
by lillymunster 6/8/2011 1:16:23 AM

@Bobby1 yep, I am old enough to remember that also. Any energy policy change is a major uphill battle here. If the govt. doesn't adopt it, it will take some major grassroots efforts to change people's behavior.
by lillymunster 6/8/2011 1:17:56 AM

@Bobby1 some people call it "energy revolution", that means free the people from the companies and let them produce their own electricity if they want. it needs a different power grid, everybody can sell and buy energy then.
by Edano 6/8/2011 1:19:32 AM

@lillymunster So can we, but 100 watt/hour times 11 light hours (average) thats a drop in the ocean, ive done some calculations bc i was interested in solar energy at home.
by WolfDK 6/8/2011 1:19:40 AM