Mark Jacobson and Mark Delucchi recently published two papers in Energy Policy expanding upon our article on 100% wind, water, and solar power for the world, published in Scientific American in November 2009. I am attaching corrected in-press proofs of the articles. Mark and I continue to work on various aspects of this, so we […]
Read Morea regular up to date source of hard info on renewable energy- Renew
Need a regular up to date source of hard info on renewable energy? Renew is a 36 page newsletter on renewable energy developments and policy which has been produced by Open University Professor Dave Elliott without a break bi-monthly since 1979. It’s widely seen as a reliable and up to date source of information, news […]
Read MoreHas Professor MacKay FRS, Chief Scientific Advisor to DECC, underestimated Britain's potential for Renewable Energy?
Today, The Times has claimed that Britain’s potential renewable resources are insufficient to meet demand, and therefore that Britain needs new nuclear plants. This is reported as having been stated by the new Chief Scientific Advisor to DECC, Professor David MacKay FRS, the author of the free online book: Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air – though it appears that The Times invented this quote. Nevertheless, the claim that Britain cannot live on its own renewables, is also made in his book.
However, the claim is not true.
On the professor’s own (underestimated) calculation of Britain’s renewable potential, it is possible for Britain to power itself from wind and solar. Current energy demand (heat, transport & electricity), is 98kWh per person per day (245GW), and the professor’s book identifies 68kWh/d (170GW) of wind onshore and offshore, and 55kWh/d (137.5GW) from photovoltaics, which together gives 123kWh/d (307.5GW). That means that even ignoring wave, tidal, geothermal and biomass, Britain’s renewable potential supply just from solar and wind substantially exceeds our energy demand.
Read MoreTidal Barrage power generation potential in England
At the last count, the sum of the estimates of potential power from those bays & estuaries that have at least one bank in England, is about 5.57GWe (49TWh/y), equivalent to about 12.7% of current electricity demand
Read MoreBWEA Wave & Tidal 09
BWEA’s sixth annual, and the world’s largest, event dedicated to wave and tidal stream energy, will take place on 30th April 2009 in Bath, sponsored by the South West RDA. Over 400 government and industry professionals will attend and over 30 companies will be on display at the accompanying exhibition, which has been extended due […]
Read MoreA SEVERN BARRAGE OR WHAT? Options for Renewable Energy from the Severn Estuary
RSA Wales and Western Region Website http://www.rsawaw.org The Royal Society of Arts is registered as a charity in England and Wales 212424 The British Science Association Website http://www.britishscienceassociation.org The British Science Association is registered as a charity in England and Wales 212479 A SEVERN BARRAGE OR WHAT? Options for Renewable Energy from the Severn Estuary […]
Read MoreClaverton has been asked to comment on the attached submission from the REA to government
please put any comments, as a comment, and or send to John Baldwin ASAP. There are only hours in which to make a submission. The energy dimension to A sustainable recovery pathway Overview – a Green New Energy Deal The pathway to recovery from this economic downturn must take us in a new direction, not […]
Read MoreLetter from Professor Roger Falconer concerning Severn Barrage and Tidal Lagoons
Professor Roger A. FALCONER South Glamorgan, 12th January, 2009 The Editor Penarth Times Dear Sirs, I read with interest the letter from Paul Kinnersley in this week’s Penarth Times, where he states that the tidal lagoon is cheaper and more efficient than a Severn Barrage and he encourages ‘all […]
Read MoreProfessor Roger Falconer FREng will talk about the Severn Barrage, Cardiff 12th Jan.
Professor Roger Falconer FREng, Halcrow Professor of Water Management, Cardiff University, Monday, 12th January 2009, 19:00 (Refreshments at 18:30)
University of Bristol, Merchant Venturers’ Building, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UB
The presentation will review the current main Severn Barrage proposals, as originally promoted by the Severn Tidal Power Group, together with giving a brief overview of alternative options such as the Shoots Barrage and Offshore Tidal Impoundments.
Read MoreParsons Brinckerhoff "has made huge miscalculations on Severn Estuary tidal lagoons’ costs"
December 14, 2008
The famous (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig_(Boston,_Massachusetts))) American engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff (“PB”) has submitted cost numbers on power from tidal lagoons (25p) that are roughly 800% higher than all the previous studies of Tidal Electric Limited’s tidal lagoon power conducted by UK engineering giant WS Atkins (3.1p) and corroborated by AEA Technology, OFGEM, Rothschild Bank, Montgomery Watson Harza, and several private energy companies. PB has arrived at their extraordinarily high numbers by ignoring the technology developer’s design parameters and introducing their own design and therein making four costly design errors:
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