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Oh well it sounds as though things will be sorted soon, some home truths are going to have to come out.
The future of energy generation and storage
- Thread starter Value Collector
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Personally I'm in the middle there. There are certainly good operators and I see no reason why they ought find themselves nationalised. But on the other hand, well if someone's just going to mess about and plunge society into chaos when they fail well then there's a case for government to step in. There are companies which fit into both categories....
If it were up to me then:
1. What's really needed is a proper plan for all of this. I've said plenty about it here, others have said plenty about it elsewhere, now it seems the chickens have finally come home to roost. This situation has been coming for a very long time.
2. If any individual company can't or won't well they're the ones that there'd be a case to nationalise. Leave the rest to get on with it.
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Totally Solar Powered Office buildings in Melbourne
www.theguardian.com
Tower of power: new office building to be fully clad in solar panels in Australian first
The $40m ‘solar skin’ building is expected to supply almost all its own electricity, becoming carbon neutral within years
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Speaking of solar and wind power of buildings..
Richard Newstead | Moment | Getty Images
The skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street, dubbed the “Walkie-Talkie tower”, last month won the “Carbuncle Cup” -- an award given by Building Design magazine to the worst building in the U.K.
The tongue-in-cheek award seems mean, but the tower has caused a number of problems.
In July, the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph reported that the building was creating a wind tunnel that blew down shop signs and swept pedestrians off their feet. In 2013, the building’s south-facing wall reflected sunlight onto the streets below, melting a car’s bodywork. Non-reflective film had to be attached to the tower’s windows as a prevention.
Walkie Talkie Tower, London
Richard Newstead | Moment | Getty Images
The skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street, dubbed the “Walkie-Talkie tower”, last month won the “Carbuncle Cup” -- an award given by Building Design magazine to the worst building in the U.K.
The tongue-in-cheek award seems mean, but the tower has caused a number of problems.
In July, the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph reported that the building was creating a wind tunnel that blew down shop signs and swept pedestrians off their feet. In 2013, the building’s south-facing wall reflected sunlight onto the streets below, melting a car’s bodywork. Non-reflective film had to be attached to the tower’s windows as a prevention.
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The exodus of retailers is starting to get serious in Qld and NSW:
The list of electricity retailers that have removed market offers from their websites (and/or Energy Made Easy) for one or more states includes;
With reference to that list:
14, Momentum Energy, is the interstate retail brand name used by Hydro Tasmania
20, Powedirect, is a secondary brand name used by AGL
21, Powershop, is owned by Shell
21, Simply Energy, is the retail brand owned by Engie
To be clear the parent companies are still active, Hydro Tas is still operating in Tasmania, AGL is still running under the main brand, Shell is still alive and well in the oil industry and so on but they've stopped taking new electricity customers in some or all states.
The underlying reason would come down to market volatility and managing risk to themselves since, as others exit or go bust, remaining retailers are being flooded with new customers to the point it's leaving them exposed to the market. That is, they only hedged or can themselves generate x volume and have shut the door once customer numbers reached or exceeded that point.
The list of electricity retailers that have removed market offers from their websites (and/or Energy Made Easy) for one or more states includes;
- 1st Energy
- Amber
- Bright Spark Power
- CovaU
- Diamond Energy
- Dodo
- Discover Energy
- Electricity in a Box
- Elysian Energy
- Future X Power
- GEE Energy
- Locality Planning Energy
- Mojo Power
- Momentum Energy
- Nectr
- OVO Energy
- People Energy
- Pooled Energy – in administration
- Powerclub
- Powerdirect
- Powershop
- QEnergy
- Radian Energy
- ReAmped Energy
- Simply Energy
- Smart Energy
- Tango Energy
With reference to that list:
14, Momentum Energy, is the interstate retail brand name used by Hydro Tasmania
20, Powedirect, is a secondary brand name used by AGL
21, Powershop, is owned by Shell
21, Simply Energy, is the retail brand owned by Engie
To be clear the parent companies are still active, Hydro Tas is still operating in Tasmania, AGL is still running under the main brand, Shell is still alive and well in the oil industry and so on but they've stopped taking new electricity customers in some or all states.
The underlying reason would come down to market volatility and managing risk to themselves since, as others exit or go bust, remaining retailers are being flooded with new customers to the point it's leaving them exposed to the market. That is, they only hedged or can themselves generate x volume and have shut the door once customer numbers reached or exceeded that point.
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Another battery technology, zinc-bromide gel batteries, Australian discovery.
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Last month I changed my electricity from Origin to Red. The main reason was Red was offering rates fixed until 31 May 2023.
Previously, when I've changed supplier, the supplier I was leaving has called me and tried to get me back with a better offer. Not this time. No peep out of Origin.
Previously, when I've changed supplier, the supplier I was leaving has called me and tried to get me back with a better offer. Not this time. No peep out of Origin.
Yes, the University of Sydney has been working on this for a number of years.
Last year it spun the technology out to form the company Gelion for commercial applications.
From what I understand it was able to combine both the elements of the battery into a gel format and eliminated or reduced the need for cooling. Not flammable either.
University spin-out Gelion to make next-gen batteries in Sydney
With Gelion batteries, Professor Thomas Maschmeyer is turning foundational science into commercial solutions to meet the challenges of the renewable energy transition.
www.sydney.edu.au
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Hello, what have @Smurf1976 and I being saying for about 5years, the last thing coal generators want to be doing, is running coal generators. ?
Now we have a political scenario where the light at the end of the tunnel 'GAS', has likely been snuffed out, so what is plan B ? Exit stage right.
Fortunately you Eastern Stater's are lucky, you have the Green/Teal think tank to sort it out.
What was the line in the play Richard the third? " a wood fire, a wood fire, my kingdom for a wood fire".
Thankfully Albo got a clear majority.
Well didn't they already give firm commitments to scheduled shutdown dates? Smurf posted them several times.
Now we have a political scenario where the light at the end of the tunnel 'GAS', has likely been snuffed out, so what is plan B ? Exit stage right.
Fortunately you Eastern Stater's are lucky, you have the Green/Teal think tank to sort it out.
What was the line in the play Richard the third? " a wood fire, a wood fire, my kingdom for a wood fire".
Thankfully Albo got a clear majority.
Power giant calls for coal exit plan
EnergyAustralia, owner of two big coal-fired power plants, wants a plan in place for the orderly exit of the fossil fuel.Well didn't they already give firm commitments to scheduled shutdown dates? Smurf posted them several times.
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I haven't read up on either, but Redflow RFX uses zinc bromide flow batteries, the issue with the gel battery may be the filtering out of impurities which when it is a liquid shouldn't be a problem, just a thought off the top of my head as I said I haven't had time to research.Yes, the University of Sydney has been working on this for a number of years.
Last year it spun the technology out to form the company Gelion for commercial applications.
From what I understand it was able to combine both the elements of the battery into a gel format and eliminated or reduced the need for cooling. Not flammable either.
University spin-out Gelion to make next-gen batteries in Sydney
With Gelion batteries, Professor Thomas Maschmeyer is turning foundational science into commercial solutions to meet the challenges of the renewable energy transition.
Retaining walls need repairing, soakwell frames need replacing, wife wanted a monorim front suspension on the ninebot max, so many jobs, so little time.
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Specific political parties aside, I think a few are about to realise that no amount of spin, persuasiveness, buzz words and "optics" gets you anywhere at all when you're up against hard physics and engineering.
In any battle between a Prime Minister, Premier, President, King etc versus physics I guarantee you physics wins every single time.
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Being realistic, it did have to come to this, all the spin about lack of wanting to, lack of will, lack of commitment. It all boils down to jack $hit when jack hits the fan. ?Specific political parties aside, I think a few are about to realise that no amount of spin, persuasiveness, buzz words and "optics" gets you anywhere at all when you're up against hard physics and engineering.
It's a bit a comedy adventure, where everyone tells those trying to move the beast over to the new paradigm, how to do it.
Then all of a sudden those telling how to do it, get caught with the job. ?
They will make a movie about this for sure, it's a classic.
The Greens remind me of a song from when I was a kid, they have a great idea and they just have to make it work, come hell or high water.
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Why WA is the power State.
www.abc.net.au
Australia's east coast is in the grip of an energy crisis but in WA prices are low and stable. Why?
Far removed from the turmoil unfolding in the eastern states, Western Australia is enjoying some of the cheapest and most stable energy prices in the developed world.
www.abc.net.au
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I did say the way things are going the coal generators will have to be paid an availability allowance, or they just wont be viable and owners will walk away from them.
$20bn economic hit if coal is left to ‘fend for itself’
Alinta, owner of Victoria’s Loy Yang B coal power station, says a capacity payment is needed to ensure the fossil fuel stays in the power grid and consumers avoid a rocky transition.
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Either that or a government takeover of the coal stations, even though they are dinosaurs we need them at the moment and if the current owners won't maintain them then they don't deserve to have them.
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Heat pumps , worth the extra cost ?
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Roughly half of all homes in Tasmania are heated that way as a case in point, the idea having been heavily promoted since the 1980's and mainstream popular since the late-1990's when split systems became far cheaper.
For me well I can assure everyone that heat pumps also work fine for hot water. I've got one in this house (in SA) and it's working just fine and the one in my previous house (in Tas) was also going just fine when I sold the place.
A properly designed and installed system works under all weather conditions, no booster required. Emphasis there on "properly designed and installed" - avoid the cheap products, just don't go there unless you want pain and misery.
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Interesting today I thought I heard mention of nuclear on the radio, I can't find mention of it in the media, does anyone have an update?
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Some people in the LNP have bought the subject up again after doing nothing for nine years
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More information.
If the opposition wants a mature discussion about nuclear energy, start with a carbon price. Without that, nuclear is wildly uncompetitive
Renewed interest in nuclear energy will go nowhere unless we talk about carbon pricing. As energy minister Chris Bowen points out, nuclear is extremely expensive.
theconversation.com
Dutton flags switch to nuclear power
The opposition is gearing up for a fight over nuclear energy with the appointment of advocate Ted O’Brien to the Climate Change and Energy portfolio.
