Renewable Energy Discussion thread - Page 6 - SV650.org

SV650rules · 09-01-21, 11:34 AM

Not so much a fan of fossil fuels ( although they have made possible the massive progress we have made in just about everything ) they did free us from subsistence existence grubbing around for food at the whim of nature.

I am a fan of not shutting down our reliable energy sources until we have something equally reliable to replace them though.. UK contributes less than 2% of global CO2 but our electricity is amongst the most expensive in the world due to having to have pretty much 100% backup of unreliable renewables .

Wow we hit 50% of our needs from low carbon sources ( they include nuclear in that - which greenies hate ) during the time we need it least ( summer ) - I am more worried about the fact a few years ago the country issued a gas shortage warning, and may well have to issue one this year due to burning gas to generate electricity because the fans on sticks bunk off. How embarrassing that a few winters ago the Russians sent us a tanker ship full of gas....

Seeker · 09-01-21, 12:30 PM

We have always had expensive energy in this country, long before coal was eliminated. Here's the minutes of the government debate on raising prices by 29% on gas and 23% on electric in 1980 and they must rise by 10% over inflation for gas and 5% for electric for the following 3 years.
https://api.parliament.uk/historic-h...rice-increases

Whilst our energy companies are owned by foreign countries I don't see much changing. Should energy companies make a proft or should it run as a service by the government? We've tried it both ways and each way has been expensive but I'd prefer the money to stay in the UK.

If all countries adopt the attitude that: "we don't emit much CO2, so why should we bother", I don't see much change forthcoming. You could argue that since we started the industrial revolution we have a greater responsibility to start fixing it or at least set a good example.

The writing is on the wall for using gas, you'll be pleased to hear, and I think we'll see increasing pressure to stop using it. In California, they have just announced no new houses will be built that use gas appliances, although that may not survive legal challenges. Besides we get gas from Norway and Russia and the latter is a risk.

My American friends used to say to me: "ok, you've given all the reasons why you can't do it, now let's look at how you can do it". If we'd listened to the Luddites, we would not have had the industrial revolution.

Progress does not come through stasis, returning to the subject of electric vehicles - when I was a lad, the only electric vehicles you saw were milk floats and you could overtake them on a bicycle. I don't think you'd argue that a Tesla isn't far superior in every way (except its milk carrying ability maybe

). If we had continued to use coal there would not have been any pressure to change.

svenrico · 09-01-21, 01:37 PM

'The writing is on the wall for using gas, you'll be pleased to hear, and I think we'll see increasing pressure to stop using it. In California, they have just announced no new houses will be built that use gas appliances, although that may not survive legal challenges. Besides we get gas from Norway and Russia and the latter is a risk.'
Not pleased to hear that - my gas fired boiler won't work then ! Thought we were being encouraged to upgrade our gas boilers to more efficient modern ones anyway !
ps How big will our gardens need to be to install the piping for ground source heat pumps I wonder.

Luckypants · 09-01-21, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svenrico

'
Not pleased to hear that - my gas fired boiler won't work then ! Thought we were being encouraged to upgrade our gas boilers to more efficient modern ones anyway !
ps How big will our gardens need to be to install the piping for ground source heat pumps I wonder.

Not big at all, as they drop the pipes down a bore hole No new homes will be built with gas boilers after 2025. TBH when I built the extension. I should have gone ground source as the costs would have only been slightly more than my fire proof oil tank and new boiler. I just want aware of the technology 5 years ago

Dave20046 · 10-01-21, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Not big at all, as they drop the pipes down a bore hole No new homes will be built with gas boilers after 2025. TBH when I built the extension. I should have gone ground source as the costs would have only been slightly more than my fire proof oil tank and new boiler. I just want aware of the technology 5 years ago

I wasn't aware either, alas. I've just bought a boiler and expected some sort of 'future proof' electric input feature ( I naively expected that to have been invented by now/be the direction of travel)to be an option but gave up the hunt - I did find some electric boilers which looked less green than gas at this point in time. I went to the green deal thinking they'll be peddling the best option - only option was biofuel, which looked like effectively stoking a fire all winter long (ok they automate it). I just went for stable old combi boiler for apparent lack of options, not pleased to read the above deadline

(from a selfish point of view...not seriously) as I possibly cocked up there, not that they guarantee a boiler for much more than 8 years.

Grant66 · 10-01-21, 10:04 PM

Had look into ground source hearing when we were planning the extension.

The cost is a little prohibiting, the estimated saving of £70 a year would take over 200 years before breaking even. Which is a bit disappointing.

There is a sweetener offered by the government which could knock 50 years off that figure, it's unlikely I'd live to see the benefit.

Sent from an S20 using Tapatalk with that kin cr4p blocked

svenrico · 11-01-21, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grant66

Had look into ground source hearing when we were planning the extension.
The cost is a little prohibiting, the estimated saving of £70 a year would take over 200 years before breaking even. Which is a bit disappointing.
There is a sweetener offered by the government which could knock 50 years off that figure, it's unlikely I'd live to see the benefit.

That seems to be the problem.

svenrico · 11-01-21, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Not big at all, as they drop the pipes down a bore hole No new homes will be built with gas boilers after 2025. TBH when I built the extension. I should have gone ground source as the costs would have only been slightly more than my fire proof oil tank and new boiler. I just want aware of the technology 5 years ago

Didn't know they did that but I haven't had anything to do with ground source heating, just what I have seen on tv when they spread the pipes out and seemed to take up a big area of the garden.

svenrico · 11-01-21, 12:50 AM

'not that they guarantee a boiler for much more than 8 years.'
My gas boiler has lasted 23 years so far (touch wood !)

Seeker · 11-01-21, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svenrico

My gas boiler has lasted 23 years so far (touch wood !)

which says a lot for its durability, unfortunately it's only about 65-70% efficient compared to 93-95% for a modern boiler.

09-01-21, 11:34 AM	#51
SV650rules Member Mega Poster Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Shropshire UK Posts: 1,363	Re: Electric Vehicles Not so much a fan of fossil fuels ( although they have made possible the massive progress we have made in just about everything ) they did free us from subsistence existence grubbing around for food at the whim of nature. I am a fan of not shutting down our reliable energy sources until we have something equally reliable to replace them though.. UK contributes less than 2% of global CO2 but our electricity is amongst the most expensive in the world due to having to have pretty much 100% backup of unreliable renewables . Wow we hit 50% of our needs from low carbon sources ( they include nuclear in that - which greenies hate ) during the time we need it least ( summer ) - I am more worried about the fact a few years ago the country issued a gas shortage warning, and may well have to issue one this year due to burning gas to generate electricity because the fans on sticks bunk off. How embarrassing that a few winters ago the Russians sent us a tanker ship full of gas.... __________________ 2016 SV650 AL7 Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear - Mark Twain Last edited by SV650rules; 09-01-21 at 11:40 AM.

09-01-21, 12:30 PM	#52
Seeker Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: NE Lincs Posts: 1,069	Re: Electric Vehicles We have always had expensive energy in this country, long before coal was eliminated. Here's the minutes of the government debate on raising prices by 29% on gas and 23% on electric in 1980 and they must rise by 10% over inflation for gas and 5% for electric for the following 3 years. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-h...rice-increases Whilst our energy companies are owned by foreign countries I don't see much changing. Should energy companies make a proft or should it run as a service by the government? We've tried it both ways and each way has been expensive but I'd prefer the money to stay in the UK. If all countries adopt the attitude that: "we don't emit much CO2, so why should we bother", I don't see much change forthcoming. You could argue that since we started the industrial revolution we have a greater responsibility to start fixing it or at least set a good example. The writing is on the wall for using gas, you'll be pleased to hear, and I think we'll see increasing pressure to stop using it. In California, they have just announced no new houses will be built that use gas appliances, although that may not survive legal challenges. Besides we get gas from Norway and Russia and the latter is a risk. My American friends used to say to me: "ok, you've given all the reasons why you can't do it, now let's look at how you can do it". If we'd listened to the Luddites, we would not have had the industrial revolution. Progress does not come through stasis, returning to the subject of electric vehicles - when I was a lad, the only electric vehicles you saw were milk floats and you could overtake them on a bicycle. I don't think you'd argue that a Tesla isn't far superior in every way (except its milk carrying ability maybe ). If we had continued to use coal there would not have been any pressure to change. __________________ 2016 SV650AL7 2023 GSX-8S

09-01-21, 01:37 PM	#53
svenrico Member Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 373	Re: Electric Vehicles 'The writing is on the wall for using gas, you'll be pleased to hear, and I think we'll see increasing pressure to stop using it. In California, they have just announced no new houses will be built that use gas appliances, although that may not survive legal challenges. Besides we get gas from Norway and Russia and the latter is a risk.' Not pleased to hear that - my gas fired boiler won't work then ! Thought we were being encouraged to upgrade our gas boilers to more efficient modern ones anyway ! ps How big will our gardens need to be to install the piping for ground source heat pumps I wonder.

10-01-21, 10:04 PM	#56
Grant66 Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Preston Posts: 652	Re: Electric Vehicles Had look into ground source hearing when we were planning the extension. The cost is a little prohibiting, the estimated saving of £70 a year would take over 200 years before breaking even. Which is a bit disappointing. There is a sweetener offered by the government which could knock 50 years off that figure, it's unlikely I'd live to see the benefit. Sent from an S20 using Tapatalk with that kin cr4p blocked __________________ Formerly known as Gajjii Previous Bikes: Red Sk1 Curvy, Red MT-07. Current Bike: Black MT-09.

11-01-21, 12:50 AM	#59
svenrico Member Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 373	Re: Electric Vehicles 'not that they guarantee a boiler for much more than 8 years.' My gas boiler has lasted 23 years so far (touch wood !)

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