[Graeme]

Energy in the 21st century

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')n auspicious wind is blowing across Colorado and the West as rural communities begin seizing the opportunities of emerging 21st century economies and technologies. Much of the land that produces the food that feeds America is ideally situated to help meet the nation's appetite for electricity. Colorado's eastern plains are ripe with potential for wind and biofuels development, and all of Colorado is a veritable breadbasket of solar energy.

One of the biggest is a reluctance by many utilities and power merchants to develop new ways of doing business that take advantage of technological advances allowing them both to integrate economical renewable energy projects and to reduce the financial risks of continuing their business-as-usual approach.

There are currently 150 new coal-fired power plants on the drawing board or under construction nationwide, roughly three dozen of them in the West. Every conventional power plant built, burning pulverized coal to generate electricity, will operate for decades, locking up billions of dollars in capital that could - and should - be invested in clean energy. Similarly, every electron moved by conventional coal plants ties up capacity that could be freed up for transmission of clean energy.

More importantly, coal entails significant financial risks due to issues such as future greenhouse gas regulations, rising coal production costs, rail constraints, and rapidly escalating construction costs. Building more large centralized coal plants burdens ratepayers, especially those in rural areas, with the potential for significant rate increases to cover those costs.

In fact, according to an in-depth study by the National Renewable Energy Lab, the development of new wind energy in Colorado would return far higher dividends back to the community than either coal-fired power or natural gas. The 2006 study found that new wind facilities would have twice the direct economic impact of a similarly sized natural gas plant and more than three times coal, ultimately giving the state, local governments and private landowners hundreds of millions of dollars more than the fossil fuel plants.

[shortonoil]

Energy in the late 21st century

For your average wealthy home: one windmill generating electricity, one windmill pumping water, one solar panel and three very large mules. Welcome to the 21st century!

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('shortonoil', '[')b]Energy in the late 21st century

For your average wealthy home: one windmill generating electricity, one windmill pumping water, one solar panel and three very large mules. Welcome to the 21st century!

[Sheb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('steam_cannon', 'Y')eah! Star Trek here we come!

[Ludi]

Sheb, I think methane generation from biomass is much more practical at this point than thermal depolymerization, on the home scale.

[Sheb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'S')heb, I think methane generation from biomass is much more practical at this point than thermal depolymerization, on the home scale.

[Graeme]

Here's an excellent web page from wikipedia on microgeneration, which may be of interest to many here. Note that the advantages and disadvantages are discussed, and especially note the numerous links at the bottom of the page under the heading "Energy Related Development by Civilizations".

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')icrogeneration is the generation of zero or low-carbon heat and power by individuals, small businesses and communities to meet their own needs.

Microgeneration technologies include small scale wind turbines, water turbines, ground source heat pumps, solar thermal collectors, solar electricity and MicroCHP installations.

[Ludi]

The infrastructure for methane generation is much simpler than for thermal depolymerization.

If you're looking to produce surplus fuel for market, I don't see how you can call that a home system. If you look into these techs, you'll see they are very energy/labor intensive. I would personally avoid going into that, myself. I don't see how one could produce surplus fuel in a home system, the labor is too dear, especially if one is trying for some kind of self-sufficient homesteadly situation. You'll probably find your time is taken up with other tasks. But, that's just my experience so far in the homesteadly attempt.

[Sheb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'T')he infrastructure for methane generation is much simpler than for thermal depolymerization.

If you're looking to produce surplus fuel for market, I don't see how you can call that a home system.

[xarkz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')here are currently 150 new coal-fired power plants on the drawing board or under construction nationwide,

[Newsseeker]

Homes of the future!