Interesting report by someone who should know what he's talking about. He's saying what I have been saying for years, but with more authority.
His comments about the Committee on Climate Change suggest the same sort of muddled and inadequate thinking that led to the present Coronavirus lockdown - no attempt to examine the whole picture.
...R
Wasn't it Margaret Thatcher who said that her being the first woman UK PM wasn't the most surprising thing, it was the fact that she was the first scientist UK PM.
We seem to have gone backward.
I don't know what 'whole picture' you are referring to. The document is about the technical feasibility of providing all the UK's energy requirements from renewable sources and indicates the size of the technical challenges involved, along with some illustrative costs. I imagine any picture that was whole would take a year to read, maybe longer.
PerryBebbington:
I don't know what 'whole picture' you are referring to.
From the document (page 8 )
The 2008 Climate Change Act created the Committee on Climate
Change and gave it enormous power to oversee the decarbonisation of the UK economy. An unelected body, the committee displays many of the worst features of the administrative state. It has
been grossly negligent in turning a blind eye to the complexity
of electric vehicles
We have set
out to decarbonise the economy without anyone having thought
through all the engineering issues, let alone put a cost on the exercise.
...R
Ah! I understand now Robin, I think I misunderstood your first comment. Thank you.
Complexity of electric vehicles is laughable. Motor battery wire.
@robin, what death counts would you expect without lockdown? A cool million or??? How many deaths would it take for a lock down to be necessary??
Qdeathstar:
@robin, what death counts would you expect without lockdown? A cool million or??? How many deaths would it take for a lock down to be necessary??
This is just fear-mongering. And the problem for Governments now is how to assuage the fear they have created. People are afraid to send kids back to school.
I suspect the number of deaths would be much the same with or without a lockdown - sh*t happens. Nobody cares how many people die from 'flu and road accidents every year.
Two or three weeks of lockdown might have been justified at the start to give time for the emergency "hospitals" to be built. But even that would not have been necessary if the Govt had acted responsibly and started building the hospitals in December when the virus was first identified. Governments have been aware of the this type of risk for several years and have done nothing to prepare for it.
...R
Hi,
Energy management of the electrical grid is a huge undertaking.
On a news program here in Australia last week, a suggestion has been made that the controlling body be able to switch out any of the gridtie PV systems that are on our houses in ever increasing numbers.
A problem was cited.
In South Australia in 2019, some days approximately 75% of the total load of the state was being supplied by solar PV on houses and windenergy.
This is approaching a dangerous situation, where the controller only has control of 25% of energy to try and regulate to 100% of the load.
As for electric vehicles, who can afford one?
Tesla has got charging stations in major centres around the country and on major highways, but until the government pulls it finger out we are basically stuck with good old gasoline.
For my situation, an EV would be ideal, 5 minutes to and from work, I live in a regional city, less than 100kms from state capital. Charging stations all around me, but I can't afford an EV.
Tom.. 
PS.I have a vested interest in PV and windenergy, they provide me with about 10 to 20% of my employment, instrument accuracy qualification, instrument-equipment repair and parts procurement.
Robin2:
This is just fear-mongering. And the problem for Governments now is how to assuage the fear they have created. People are afraid to send kids back to school.I suspect the number of deaths would be much the same with or without a lockdown - sh*t happens. Nobody cares how many people die from 'flu and road accidents every year.
Two or three weeks of lockdown might have been justified at the start to give time for the emergency "hospitals" to be built. But even that would not have been necessary if the Govt had acted responsibly and started building the hospitals in December when the virus was first identified. Governments have been aware of the this type of risk for several years and have done nothing to prepare for it.
...R
You think the same exact number of people would die from corona if all the restaurants, casinos, theme parks, beauty parlors, etc were open?
I think that is being more than optimistic. It’s somewhere between pray the corona away and the 5gs caused it on the ignorance spectrum. I suggest you educate yourself on how viruses spread. Like, just a basic 5 minute wiki read will do.
Tom, you can get an EV for around 27k. not exactly unobtanium...
Qdeathstar:
I suggest you educate yourself on how viruses spread. Like, just a basic 5 minute wiki read will do.
I have. And I am too angry about the farcical way this was managed by Governments to debate it any further here.
In any case, this Thread is about the policy of encouraging electric cars.
...R
Qdeathstar:
Tom, you can get an EV for around 27k. not exactly unobtanium...
Where?
TomGeorge:
Where?
I note there was no currency symbol on that 27k.
A Nissan Leaf is under £27k, but I think, Tom, you are in Australia, I don't know how that translates into Australian dollars.
Qdeathstar:
Tom, you can get an EV for around 27k. not exactly unobtanium...
Nissan Leaf $53,190 AUD from Nissan Australia web site.
Tesla Model 3 $73,900 AUD.
Hyundai Kona Electric is currently priced from $60,140 AUD plus on-road costs
To replace my 2006 Kia Rio with 2019 Kia Rio = $18,000 AUD
BMW 3 series = $69,800 AUD for comparison.
Tom....
Indeed, they are expensive at the moment. That will change. They are, of course, cheaper to run. I would like an electric car, but they are too expensive for now. One day I will get one. An electric motor is by far a better device than an engine for rotating a drive shaft, if you can solve the problem of where to get the electricity from.
I have chosen an even greener lifestyle. For the past 10 years or so I have not had any car and I have allowed my driving licence to lapse.
...R
TomGeorge:
....
A problem was cited.
In South Australia in 2019, some days approximately 75% of the total load of the state was being supplied by solar PV on houses and windenergy.
This is approaching a dangerous situation, where the controller only has control of 25% of energy to try and regulate to 100% of the load.
....
It is not a physically dangerous situation but it is an economically dangerous situation for vested interests.
You do need an electrical infrastructure, though it could be argued that the present one is now back to front.
The big economic problem is that if PV can satisfy 75% of the load for long periods how on earth do convential generators get income?
Over a large area in somewhere like Australia PV may well be able to satisfy a siginificant part of the base load. That means that convential generation can only make cash from catering for peaks but they have continuous costs whether or not their plant is operating and generating revenue.
This problem needs to be thought through but it is an economic one not a technical one.
Over a large area in somewhere like Australia PV may well be able to satisfy a significant part of the base load.
Does the sun shine at night in Australia? I've never been so I don't know.