Solar is still worth it. More so at current prices.
Fusion or fission is the cleanest safest way to match demand when wind or sun do not. At least in a nation we’re we lack the space to build gravity fed storage.
Comment on UK fusion reactor dream gets another £2.5 billion from gov't
Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 2 days ago
Man, just when I’d bought all those solar panels.
HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 2 days ago
nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl 2 days ago
Be that as it may, I’ve been hearing that (cold) fusion is just 30 years away for about 40 years now. I appreciate the effort but simply burning money would probably have generated lots more energy than fusion.
Grumpy whining aside, the problem here isn’t the expensive research per se, but more that STEP can’t explain where all the money is going into:As for what STEP has done to encourage that added investment, that’s anyone’s guess - by all accounts it doesn’t seem like a lot has happened with the project of late.
HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 2 days ago
Cold fusion is a different and entirely mythical idea.
And step was the first successful positive output from a fusion (hot they run a 1 to 1.5million c).
The register is missing important understanding. Early 1950 small scale fission reactors also had negative true input to output. They only produced a true positive result at full scale. But the maths proved that scale.
The maths of the NIF STEP reactore are the same.
There is a reason SMR fission reactors are only now starting to be built. Profitable ones were impossible until the 90.
nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl 2 days ago
Also, I think the Register’s point was not about feasibility or profitability even, but more that no one at STEP can explain where the money is going at all; it might be research and reactor, but just as well shiny new macbooks as a New Year’s present for everyone and ’is mum.
nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl 2 days ago
Cold fusion is a different and entirely mythical idea.
And I agree, I meant that I’ve heard both hot and cold fusion predicted.
Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 2 days ago
Only joking. We’re offgrid anyway, so unless they can figure out a tiny, cheap and quiet one I can buy off the shelf some time soon I will be solar for a while to come!
Panels have become ridiculously cheap per kwh. I was looking for some more recently and they had halved in price in the space of a few years while everything else has almost doubled.
I’d love to see more innovation in mechanical storage.
HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 1 day ago
I’d love to see more innovation in mechanical storage.
Yep most of it is dams and moving water ATM. And while that is efficient. It takes way more space then the UK can spare.
There has been a lot of work using heat storage of late. As we develop more materials etc. I can see this becoming more common. Will always have more loss then gravity. But is much more practice to multi use the land. And build on smaller scale. It is popular in factory situations where heat is often the energy needed. Generate during the day from solar or wind store in huge heat absorbing blocks and release on the night shift.
But use of land is the main problem with all natural renewables. Except maybe tidal. But even that has negative effects on land use. Wind turbines need space beyond the structure. While much can still be farmed. Farming land is also where they are best situated. Due to lack of nearby structures. Solar is a huge land hog. And moving it into our cities. Should happen but to be effective takes a complete redesign,
But the fact that a single car park structure exists that doesn’t have the roof covered. Show how little effort has been pushed. Open land car parks should do more. But effect on others light will be an issue. But if you own a building that just parks cars on the roof. It is insane that nothing has motivated you to build out solar over the last 40 years of climate change acceptance.
HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 2 days ago
Spent £280 for 800w for my small boat 9 year ago. Thinking it was cheap so grab quick. Now half that for the same panels.
Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 1 day ago
It’s great isn’t it. The panels are getting denser as well which must be great for sailors. What sort of boat do you have?
cook_pass_babtridge@feddit.uk 2 days ago
Just point them at the fusion reactor once it’s ready.