[Graeme]

100 Percent Renewables: The Resources are There, Says UN Report

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')enewable energy sources are expected to contribute up to 80 percent of global energy supply by 2050, according to a new report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).



Among the report’s points of emphasis: wind power alone is capable of supplying more than 100 percent of future demand.

“The report clearly demonstrates that renewable technologies could supply the world with more energy than it would ever need, and at a highly competitive cost,” said Steve Sawyer, secretary general of the Global Wind Energy Council. “The IPCC report will be a key reference for policy makers and industry alike, as it represents the most comprehensive high level review of renewable energy to date.”

The 1,000-page report, which was adopted by 194 governments after marathon negotiations on May 9, considers the potential contribution from wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro, and ocean energy, as well as their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, their integration into the energy networks, their contribution to sustainable development, and the policies which are needed to put them in place. Following a review of 164 scenarios, the IPCC found that renewables will play a key role in any successful plan to combat climate change.

An increasing number of technologies are already economically competitive, the report noted, and that trend will continue as further cost reductions and technology improvements are made, the report said.

[MD]

80% sounds about right.

except that it will be 80% of the total at the time which will be 80% of what we are using today.

and that is a good thing!

[kiwichick]

100% no sweat

New Zealand already @ 80% electricity from renewables

and aiming for 100%

[prajeshbhat]

New Zealand has a small population and a huge hydroelectric capacity. Not sure if all countries can pull it off. Especially China and India. They have already maxed out hydroelectric. So, they have both committed to coal as the fuel for their 10% growth.

[kiwichick]

i'm not sure if every country can either

however china and india could both develop wave and geothermal power

china and india are also working to stabilize their population

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Graeme', 'A')mong the report’s points of emphasis: wind power alone is capable of supplying more than 100 percent of future demand.

[highlander]

Living in a region where our electricity comes mainly from hydropower, I don't see the upside.
Yes, we can generate a lot of electricity from solar, wind and hydropower. But It will take an economic miracle to convert the current transportation fleet away from oil and on to electricity.
Got coal?

[Alan Cain]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Graeme', 'A')mong the report’s points of emphasis: wind power alone is capable of supplying more than 100 percent of future demand.

[dolanbaker]

The simple solution to energy storage is wind powered water pumps and reservoirs attached to hydroelectric generators.

The wind pumps continually (when windy) pump water from a lower lake into a higher lake and the hydro plant generates electricity on demand. Simples!

If there are no suitable valleys around, then river estuaries or artificial "sea lakes" could be built.

[Pops]

The water pumping idea was exactly what made me think of the term "scheme". It sounds good but is expensive to build and really expensive if it is a dedicated use and of course uses more power to pump than it generates. Not that we won't do more of it.

[dolanbaker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'T')he water pumping idea was exactly what made me think of the term "scheme". It sounds good but is expensive to build and really expensive if it is a dedicated use and of course uses more power to pump than it generates. Not that we won't do more of it.

[kiwichick]

geothermal and wave power are base load sources

it's hot inside our planet

in the us there is a huge geothermal resource in the yellowstone park area

[no_wuckin_ferries_mate]

As has been said further up the thread wave power might be suitable for India and China. I don't know much about those countries, but for Japan wave power is certainlay very suitable. It could replace all of Japan's nuclear power stations.

[Graeme]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Graeme', 'A')mong the report’s points of emphasis: wind power alone is capable of supplying more than 100 percent of future demand.

[AdamB]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')

At the International Solar Alliance, Emmanuel Macron said the government, private sector and civil society need to work together to overcome hurdles French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said USD 1 trillion will be needed to achieve one terawatt (TW) of solar power capacity by 2030. Speaking alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), he said there are financing and regulation hurdles for achieving the target which need to be cleared by government, private sector and civil society coming together. Without any names, he referred to countries quitting the historic Paris Climate agreement and said ISA nations came together to “deliver complete results”. The oblique reference was to US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 in an effort to curb

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AdamB', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')

At the International Solar Alliance, Emmanuel Macron said the government, private sector and civil society need to work together to overcome hurdles French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said USD 1 trillion will be needed to achieve one terawatt (TW) of solar power capacity by 2030. Speaking alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), he said there are financing and regulation hurdles for achieving the target which need to be cleared by government, private sector and civil society coming together. Without any names, he referred to countries quitting the historic Paris Climate agreement and said ISA nations came together to “deliver complete results”. The oblique reference was to US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 in an effort to curb

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AdamB', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')

At the International Solar Alliance, Emmanuel Macron said the government, private sector and civil society need to work together to overcome hurdles French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said USD 1 trillion will be needed to achieve one terawatt (TW) of solar power capacity by 2030. Speaking alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), he said there are financing and regulation hurdles for achieving the target which need to be cleared by government, private sector and civil society coming together. Without any names, he referred to countries quitting the historic Paris Climate agreement and said ISA nations came together to “deliver complete results”. The oblique reference was to US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 in an effort to curb

[kiwichick]

potential wave power

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... _Potential

[KaiserJeep]

I'm not going to quibble about whether nuclear energy or renewables are more appropriate replacements for FF energy. The facts are that all other forms of energy production even taken collectively will still be producing less overall energy at higher costs than do FF's today.

People are already dying from lack of food and clean water because energy costs too much to save them. Things are not improving.

[Zarquon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vtsnowedin', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', '
')
With a Trillion dollars I could build 50: 1,500MWe nuclear power stations at a grossly inflated price tag of 20 Billion each. These 50 power stations would then be capable of generating 75 GWe 24/7/365 for 60+ years each. Meanwhile those solar PV systems with an expected what is it, 30 year lifetime, would be generating for about 6 hours a day on average if they are in a good location (25% capacity factor) so your nameplate 1 TWe is 250 GWe if everything goes swimmingly. Sounds like a winner right? but wait, you have to replace them half way through the life of the Nuclear systems so that 250 is actually 125 GWe, Still sounds like a winner?

Well sure, if it really costs you 20 Billion a pop for a fission power station you still get almost double the energy from solar (ignoring the costs of batteries and what not) the solar advocates are claiming $1/Watt in nameplate capacity so how much does nuclear actually cost? Well in South Korea they build a lot of nuclear and the 'overnight costs' are about $2.02/Watt while in China the newest plants cost $1.81/Watt. But we already know that Solar PV system is at best 25% efficient over 24 hours because of you know, sunset and stuff so the real cost of that solar PV system might not be $1/Watt claimed for nameplate, it is more likely $4/Watt, and you have to replace the system in 30 years instead of in 60.

So say we let South Korea set up the factory to mass produce nuclear reactors of a standard design (much as France did in the 1970-80 period when they build almost all of their current plants to three standardized designs). Lets go further and say that instead of duplication reducing costs they actually cost a little more, say $3.00/Watt for a nice 50% fudge factor. Okay how much fission capacity will 1 trillion buy us at $3? Easy math there fellas that would be 334 GWe in cookie cutter stations with a 1.5 GWe capacity each. AKA 334 GWe 24/7/365 for $1trillion for 60 years vs 250 GWe (net) for 30 years. Yeah Solar PV is a wonderful dream, mostly because you have to be asleep to think it is the better option.