#Electricity generation

[thezimster]

Bonneville Lock & Dam, Bonneville, OR

photo by

Walt Zimmer

[rjzimmerman]

Some infographics from this story from the New York Times:

Here are three states, picked because I live in two of them (Illinois and California) and the third because I was curious. California is stupid. Consumers are spending way too much money on natural gas, which is expensive out there, instead of from renewable sources, including geothermal.

[skylobster]

I actually side with Toyota on this one, in spite of my passion for electric cars. Both our battery technology and our infrastructure need to be improved before we can go with a 100% electric automobile fleet. Meanwhile, I prefer plug-in hybrids as a bridge technology. Our plug-in charges at home, and handles most of our driving as an EV, carrying about 1/8 as much battery payload as a similar-sized full electric. And I don’t require major infrastructure changes in order to take a trouble-free vacation trip. And at least 75% of our miles are pure electric.

In terms of battery cost and resources used, 1 Tesla = 8 plug-in hybrids, for the same amount of lithium-ion batteries.

Or for fossil fuel consumption, 4 plug-in hybrids = 1 conventional automobile (assuming most of your electricity comes from non-fossil fuel sources)

Or for purchase cost, 1 Tesla = 1.5 - 2 plug-in hybrids. (Some other electric cars are quite a bit cheaper though)

NOTE: These are my own back of the envelope statistics. If you take repeated long trips, or your electricity comes largely from fossil fuels, a plug-in hybrid may not be much help. But the pure EV could look even worse by comparison.

[chaunceymansanleandro]

Chauncey Man San Leandro: Electricity Generation Methods

Electricity can be generated through various processes, each with its own advantages, disadvantages, and applications. Here are some common types of electricity generation processes shared by Chauncey Man San Leandro:

Fossil Fuel-Based Generation:

Coal Power Plants: These plants burn coal to produce steam, which drives turbines connected to generators.

Natural Gas Power Plants: Natural gas is burned to spin turbines and generate electricity.

Oil Power Plants: Similar to natural gas plants, but they use oil as the fuel source.

Nuclear Power Generation:

Nuclear reactors use controlled nuclear fission reactions to heat water and produce steam that drives turbines connected to generators.

Renewable Energy Generation:

Solar Power: Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert sunlight into electricity.

Wind Power: Wind turbines capture kinetic energy from the wind and convert it into electricity.

Hydropower: Water flowing through dams or turbines generates electricity.

Geothermal Power: Heat from the Earth's core is used to produce steam that drives generators.

Biomass Power: Organic materials like wood, crop residues, and waste are burned or converted to biogas to generate electricity.

Hybrid Systems:

Some power generation systems combine renewable sources (e.g., solar and wind) with energy storage systems (e.g., batteries) to provide continuous power.

Tidal and Wave Energy:

Tidal and wave energy generators harness the kinetic and potential energy of ocean tides and waves to generate electricity.

Fuel Cells:

Fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water as the only byproduct.

Cogeneration (Combined Heat and Power - CHP):

Cogeneration systems produce electricity and useful heat simultaneously, improving overall energy efficiency.

Thermoelectric Generators:

These generators convert heat directly into electricity using temperature differences, often in remote or small-scale applications.

Microgrids:

Microgrids are localized electricity generation and distribution systems that can incorporate various energy sources, including renewables, to provide reliable power to specific areas.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC):

OTEC systems use temperature differences between warm surface water and cold deep water to generate electricity.

Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs):

RTGs use the heat generated by the radioactive decay of isotopes to produce electricity, often used in space probes and satellites.

Piezoelectric Generation:

Piezoelectric materials generate electricity when subjected to mechanical stress or vibration, used in some specialized applications.

Chauncey Man San Leandro's final words, The choice of electricity generation method depends on factors such as resource availability, environmental impact, cost, and energy demand. Many regions are transitioning to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.

[zenosanalytic]

A Really Good Podcast On Fusion, Renewables, Decarbonization, and Politics

[awenydd-andros]

good news

[nepalenergyforum]

Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project Connected to National Grid, Easing Power Management in Kathmandu Valley During Winter

Kathmandu, 6 Mangsir 2081 (November 22, 2024): The electricity generated by the 111 MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, constructed under the leadership of Chilime Hydropower Company, a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), has been connected to the national transmission line. Located in Gosainkunda Rural Municipality, Rasuwa, the project began test production from one of its three 37…

[bitcoinversus]

Energy: Wasted Styrofoam Generates Power through Static Electricity

Researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and Riga Technical University (RTU) have introduced an innovative method to generate electricity from polystyrene, a widely used but environmentally persistent material. This plastic-based foam, known for its resilience, often takes up to 500 years to decompose and accumulates significantly in landfills, with global production…

[trendynewsnow]

Supreme Court's Environmental Decisions Indicate Possible Shift in Judicial Attitudes

Supreme Court’s Recent Environmental Decisions: A Possible Shift? The conservative-majority Supreme Court has recently shown a more favorable stance towards environmental regulations, raising questions among analysts about a potential change in the court’s trajectory. Just this month, three noteworthy victories for regulators have emerged, suggesting a possible pivot in judicial attitudes. One…

[kimludcom]

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A post shared by Acknowledge AI by Pubity (@acknowledge.ai)

[afrotumble]

Ethiopia's GERD Reaches 100% Completion in Civil Works - Addis Insight

[thoughtlessarse]

Eskom has not imposed rotational blackouts for more than three weeks, and doesn’t expect to do so for the foreseeable future. South Africans are enjoying one of the longest load shedding-free periods in years as the state-owned electricity utility says it has sufficient generating capacity and emergency reserves to meet demand. How long can it last? “Load shedding will continue to be suspended until further notice. This follows a period of 21 consecutive days and, as of midday today, 535 hours without load shedding,” Eskom said in a statement.

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Let's hope it continues.

[hayleylovesjessica]

My partner and I had PV solar panels installed when we bought our house four years ago, and I enjoy tracking our electricity generation online. The drop in our power generation over the last hour has been DRAMATIC.

[jack85200]

Computational Modeling Aspect of Fuel Cells: A Continuous Powerhouse

Fuel cells are called continuous powerhouses because it is a device that does not store energy but runs continuously to produce electricity as long as the fuel is provided. The byproduct of the fuel cell is water, hence the “clean energy” or “zero carbon emission” technology.

[atompowers]

My heart is an offshore windfarm sustaining through the roughest gusts, against the rising tides, against the oncoming storm; fortifying generation after generation / generation of generations, as power passes through each windspin, winding and aligning our respiratory infrastructure of survival to heal each wound, with earth's each breath.

—Adam Powers