Electrifying News From Goodchild

[Meantime]

Local boat builder wins contract to build the first hybrid pilot boat for the PLA

http://www.goodchildmarine.co.uk/norfolk-boat-builder-help-revolutionise-industry-groundbreaking-hybrid-pilot-boat

[gancanny]

RC 136.HY, a parallel hybrid pilot boat, will combine both diesel and electric power and has been designed to be completely emission-free when operating in electric mode.

 

  is that normal for any electric powered boat or car

[BroadAmbition]

designed to be completely emission-free when operating in electric mode.   is that normal for any electric powered boat or car

Only if the boat or car has been charged up by solar / wind / nuclear powered sources.  Otherwise if they have been charged up by generating stations using gas / coal / dino fuel etc, then they are most definitely not completely emission free

Griff

[Guest]

1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

designed to be completely emission-free when operating in electric mode.   is that normal for any electric powered boat or car

Only if the boat or car has been charged up by solar / wind / nuclear powered sources.  Otherwise if they have been charged up by generating stations using gas / coal / dino fuel etc, then they are most definitely not completely emission free

Griff

Nuclear power is far from emission free , the spoils of which are shipped thousands of miles for disposal at environmental cost , other than that very valid point .

[Cockatoo]

[grendel]

in the industry nuclear is considered low carbon emission, but in reality it is not if you count the emissions in building / commissioning and decommissioning. of course the environmental aspect of the waste disposal is also ignored as that is just radioactive waste, not carbon. nuclear - even including the initial / final carbon is relatively low carbon compared to the fossil fuel powered generation.

Hydro electricity is fairly low carbon even including the building / demolition, and an option regularly forgotten in this country as we dont have may hydo electricity generators (scotland has a few) 

[oldgregg]

The thing people forget about electric vehicles is that it cuts out the network of fuel tankers, and the pollution and danger that goes with them.

And is the energy used to generate the electricity much different to that used in refining oil?

The other benefit is air quality in cities, and if the UK would introduce mandatory solar installations on new buildings (particularly commercial ones) there would be a lot less dependence on fossil fuels.

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

[BroadAmbition]

Air quality in cities - Agreed,  But what about the air quality surrounding the power stations that generate the electricity used to charge electric vehicles?

Griff

[Guest]

1 hour ago, oldgregg said:

The thing people forget about electric vehicles is that it cuts out the network of fuel tankers, and the pollution and danger that goes with them.

And is the energy used to generate the electricity much different to that used in refining oil?

The other benefit is air quality in cities, and if the UK would introduce mandatory solar installations on new buildings (particularly commercial ones) there would be a lot less dependence on fossil fuels.

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app
 

What about the pollution of the road trucks and often diesel powered trains that deliver coal to the power stations?

[oldgregg]

The power stations which power the oil refineries?

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

[BroadAmbition]

The power stations which power the oil refineries?

The very same

Griff

[MauriceMynah]

23 hours ago, gancanny said:

RC 136.HY, a parallel hybrid pilot boat, will combine both diesel and electric power and has been designed to be completely emission-free when operating in electric mode.

 

That statement is accurate but what it implies is not. When operating in electric mode it will be (virtually) emission free. However, when it's being charged it is most certainly not. 

[oldgregg]

45 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Air quality in cities - Agreed,  But what about the air quality surrounding the power stations that generate the electricity used to charge electric vehicles?

Griff

And that's where the UK needs to shift away from coal-fired etc. 

If every new build house had to have a few KW of Solar on the roof, and new factory and office buildings had to have them on the roof then we'd have much less reliance on power stations.

The installed cost is low as a percentage on housing so why are we not doing it?

[Guest]

Some of the logic being applied here reminds me of when I was at school, most afternoons  for those who came to school on bikes (for the younger ones, in the days before kids were driven to school) there was daily race home.

One kid was always the fastest, he said this was because he would remove his bike lights and put them into his rucksack thereby making his bike lighter and faster. We all said it was because he had a ten speed Claude Butler. 

[BroadAmbition]

The installed cost is low as a percentage on housing so why are we not doing it?

Dunno, cost / profits maybe?  I have 16 SP's on the rear of our house - I paid for these mysen outright.  Works for us

Griff

[grendel]

many years ago now I saw an article on solar windows, the solar receptors were in the frame around the edges of the glass, and used the principle that some of the light exits the edges of the sheet of glass, efficiency was quite low compared to other types of panel, but if every window was fitted with this system most high rise buildings would be self sufficient for energy, at least during daylight hours - when most offices are occupied.

[MauriceMynah]

I have often wondered about solar powered de-salination plants topping up reservoirs. The more "sunshine" the higher demand for water, the more "sunshine" the more the de-salination plant would work. Just a thought! 

[NeilB]

If everyone switched to electric cars by say 2030, or trucks, buses or boats etc.  Where is all the energy going to come from to power the fast chargers required for commercial use?  How “green” will they be?  The National Grid would have a meltdown !!

I believe coal power stations are being phased out or converted to gas and their input to the power grid is the lowest it’s ever been.  There have also been some planning restrictions lifted which will enable more windfarms to be constructed but this will all take time and is not enough.

Electromobility is the new buzz word, there’s a serious amount of development and big advances going on behind the scenes in all automotive areas but infrastructure development seems inadequate. 

I’ve no idea what the answer is and I hope someone in government is taking a long term view !

I

[ExSurveyor]

25 minutes ago, NeilB said:

I hope someone in government is taking a long term view !

Don't hold your breath.

All governments in the last 30 years have been more reactive than proactive. The problem is they have tied themselves up in red tape and regulation and any project takes decades rather than years to deliver,  none want to take the flack now for another party to have the glory years down the line.

My Jeep is not the most green vehicle on the road but the pollution costs of building it have already been incurred. what is the environmental cost of scrapping it before the end of life and replacing it with an electric vehicle ?

The damage caused from producing just the batteries is huge and I suspect the life of the new car will be less than 10 years compared to the expected 20 year life of the Jeep.

Providing the Jeep engine is properly maintained the emissions will be as low as possible.

 

[TheQ]

Thats the problem with throw away Vehicles like Jeeps.

50% of all proper landrovers are thought to be still on the road,  mines a youngster at 34. This isn't mine but it's the same model.. NO it's not a Defender..

[grendel]

right at this moment coal is producing 0% of this countries electricity

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

In fact right now wind energy is out producing everything else producing 29% of our electricity, nuclear and gas turbine are at 22% each and solar is at 14%

[grendel]

my 18 year old volvo from the measured emissions at its last mot isnt a huge polluter (it probably would be if I did short trips in it though), and I am doing my best to spread its manufacture and eventual disposal footprint over as many miles as i can, 240 000 so far.

[grendel]

to see just how many coal fired power stations have shut down - there is a list here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_stations_in_England

showing when they were closed / demolished, very few coal even still standing.

[keifsmate]

I wonder how many of the still open Coal fired plants are gently ticking over in the background? Using, but not producing energy. Takes a long time to fire up a coal powered plant from cold.

[grendel]

they generally start up on oil, then transfer over to coal. the one at littlebrook could fire up in 30 minutes on oil. at greenwich power station they have rolls royce jet turbine engines that can fire up in a matter of minutes for quick response.