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64 Comments
- fitztek, on 12/27/2008, -3/+40Well that's why green energy is only effective if it is coupled with energy diversification. Geothermal energy isn't affected by winter, neither is tidal. If you use a combination of multiple different energy sources, you'll never be left out cold. pun intended... sorry.
- sturmgiest, on 12/27/2008, -7/+26Nuclear power doesn't care how cold it is outside. Its also way more efficient than any of the above mentioned power sources.
- adholes, on 12/27/2008, -0/+13Totally, you need to be smart and use multiple sources so we don't become dependent one thing. There's thousands of scenarios we never may dream of that could starve us of energy in a relatively new area.
- inactive, on 12/27/2008, -3/+16FTA Solar panels covered in snow don't work.
Well DUH!
FTA Solar panels kept clean work better with the added reflected light.
Headline FTA Green energy thwarted by winter.
Should read: Useless prats who don't keep snow and ice off solar panels will have no electricity otherwise they perform brilliantly.
Windmills throwing Ice chicks around can be controlled, otherwise they work just as well.
This article is full of *****, *****, FUD and garbage. Ice storms won't affect Solar anywhere near as much as centralized distribution.
Ice storm = light. Ice storm and panels on roof = power. If low light then Generator = power until sunlight...
You = solar panels (have power)
Neighbor = Centralized energy model = no solar = no power..
How is that a fail? - FreckleEars, on 12/27/2008, -2/+12Stop it with the damn terrorism. Seriously! Are you afraid to turn on your goddamn tap water in case of poisoning? This is 2008, not Chernobyl which was build in the 1970's. Do you really think a 'terrorist' can waltz into a nuclear power plant and blow it up? They are not made of paper mache. Stop using terrorism as an excuse for anything.
I can however, agree with the toxic waste complaints but they can be buried and contained just garbage is in modern engineered landfills. - fitztek, on 12/27/2008, -5/+15That's true, but nuclear waste still has plenty of transportation and long (and short) term storage issues that need to be addressed before it will become a truly efficient source of energy.
On top of that there is the security threat of nuclear plants being a target for terrorism.
But again, every source of energy has it's draw backs, that's why we need energy diversification. - Murdats, on 12/27/2008, -0/+9actually nuclear power does better in winter, cooling is less of a problem.
I feel nuclear would provide an excellent foundation for power generation with things like wind, solar and other forms of 'unreliable' energy as supplements. - krnldmp, on 12/27/2008, -0/+7It is to the extent that any power system costs money and people would rather get some considerable amount if return on the investment in the shortest possible time.
- inactive, on 12/27/2008, -4/+10Imagine that, not even Mother Nature cares about our efforts to save her! Looks like we should just let her run her course instead of trying to punish anyone who dares to be successful, through outrageous taxes. I do not worship at the alter of the 1st Enviormentalist Church, therefore I will never bow down and grab my ankles.
If we got all of our electricity here in America from Clean, Safe, Enviromentally Friendly Nuclear Power, then this would be a moot point, and niche energy production methods like wind, solar, and underwater hydroelectric would be irrelevant. - Phennim, on 12/27/2008, -3/+9Those poor employees of big oil FUD departments have to work all through christmas?
- divinediva, on 12/27/2008, -2/+8The utility’s main focus for the winter of 2008 would be on demand- side management and energy-saving initiatives.
- yaosio, on 12/27/2008, -0/+6New forms of energy generation require maintenance, thanks article, I never knew that.
- inactive, on 12/27/2008, -2/+7Conversely, the Greenies are hiding from reality. Seriously, instead of pulling out the FUD stick, how about some concise answers to the problems stated?
- DarkShroud, on 12/27/2008, -0/+4If you actually looked at plant security instead of watching movies like Die Hard 4 you'd know it isn't an issue. Just as a hint, the security guards carry m-16s not little pea shooter pistols.
- krnldmp, on 12/27/2008, -0/+4The fact is that natural energy is a major pain in the ass during winter. That's why several species of plant and animal just say ***** It and go dormant until spring.
- Lewie, on 12/27/2008, -0/+4You'd think a simple defroster setup like that of a car rear window would be a cheap and effective solution to these problems.
- Murdats, on 12/27/2008, -2/+6study? pfft this is the real world you are talking about, where people hear a sound bite or phrase, jump to conclusions and assume that its all because them evil politicians want to steal their money, who needs thinking there.
- Hyperion1144, on 12/28/2008, -0/+4Put all the solar and thermal generation in the Southern part of the nation where it doesn't get very cold, or hardly ever snows. Move the power north via a series of high-voltage direct-current backbones, criss-crossing the nation from north-to-south all along the country.
We have already built such an HVDC transmission line system running north-south through a good part of the western USA. This is tech that is known to work and that we have built before. HVDC can transmit high-voltages over extremely long distances that would not be possible for an standard high-voltage AC line to do. It can be converted back to AC at local distribution stations.
We have already built a system like this on a more limited scale. Why can we not do it again, only bigger? - silent128, on 12/27/2008, -2/+6@sturmgiest
Yes Nuclear is a great technology that should be expanded. As fitztek said there is a issue with transportation, storage, and terrorism. Also many people do not like to live next to such a plant. Another issue is like coal, and oil we will eventually run out of radioactive materials to keep the plants running. We should continue to research and deploy all of these technologys. - trejrco, on 12/27/2008, -0/+4Don't forget nuclear ... and insert a comment about improved energy storage as well.
- ObamaYouth, on 12/27/2008, -1/+4we need research on snow power.
- inactive, on 12/27/2008, -3/+6The use of Glycol only makes it more energy efficient!
- inactive, on 12/27/2008, -0/+3Mate. Either way I would rather live a life with cheap and plentyfull energy with 100% independence! If you wan't to live in a noisy polluted city full of fume belching exhausts, bills to pay, shareholders to feed then go live in one. I would rather a city loaded with efficient public transport, few cars on the roads and of those all are electric only. Imagine trucks making little noise and everywhere you go there is not a piston engine anywhere!
- Lewie, on 12/27/2008, -0/+3Actually, everyone forget I said that.
I'm off to the patent office, brb. - mickstephenson, on 12/27/2008, -2/+5Unfortunately you have a logic fail there, if winter stalls multiple kinds of energy production, and winter is at the peak of energy consumption, summer-only sources become completely superfluous. Unless they act to replace fossil fuel usage only in the summer.
- DarkShroud, on 12/27/2008, -0/+3This is why the midwest can use wind & solar when it doesn't snow and nuclear during the winter. I would love solar panels but here in the Chicago suburbs I had 8 inches of snow on the roof of my 2 story home for weeks until today. There are "roof rakes" that can be used to clean the snow off but those might damages normal solar panels.
- Ysabetwordsmith, on 12/28/2008, -1/+3Winter can demolish a great deal of human technology, including the car and the power line. Design with winter in mind. Learn from the mistakes: cars now have anti-lock breaks; power lines are often run underground.
- diggerdeedo, on 12/27/2008, -0/+2Energizing insights; thanks!
- houndeyex, on 12/27/2008, -1/+3D-D-D-DUGG DOWN!
- inactive, on 12/27/2008, -0/+2Tell me again how Glycol keeps my wind turbine going?
- inactive, on 12/27/2008, -0/+2Even A virating dome over the panels is a simple excuse to be lazy! Next time the hotel throws out one of those "massaging beds" grab the mechanism.
- Ferretman, on 12/28/2008, -0/+2This is precisely correct. Not only is it just better *policy* to have a diverse set of energy supplies, but as stated it just helps avoid nonsense like this.
- SaciPerere, on 12/27/2008, -0/+2Dugg for the use of the word Congeal :)
- lolwaffle, on 12/28/2008, -0/+2Yes, whether or not humans have anything to do with it is a moot point. Energy diversification is a good idea regardless. From the air you breath, to the river you fish in, to your govt and it's appeasement/conquering of foreign oil producers, it could all improve.
- BioHMMWV, on 12/27/2008, -2/+4How do you explain the little ice age that ended in the late 1800's then?
- k3rfuffl3, on 12/27/2008, -2/+4"say U.S. power developers"
Forgive me if I don't believe your "research" - BioHMMWV, on 12/27/2008, -2/+4Also, we had a global cooling that lasted two centuries that did not end until the late 1800's. Study history please.
- warriorscot, on 12/27/2008, -3/+4effeiciency really isn't an issue in renewables as the energy source is limitless.
- inactive, on 12/27/2008, -0/+1Winter can run a Stirling engine--so can summer for that matter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engine - ChileanGoD, on 12/27/2008, -1/+2Fusion... our only hope.
- silent128, on 12/27/2008, -3/+4lol, i dont understand the point of articles like this. It is about obvious points that have simple solutions. All efforts to make our energy grid greener, and sustainable should be developed.
- inactive, on 12/27/2008, -0/+1Snow jobs give me energy, what's wrong with you guys!
- mattofasia, on 05/28/2009, -0/+1we need to harness the power of wasted hot air from idiots and keystrokes on Digg.
- BioHMMWV, on 12/27/2008, -13/+14 If it weren't for global warming causing this harsh winter, we could get on with the business of stopping global warming. Oh, wait.
- DarkShroud, on 12/29/2008, -0/+1You need to do some serious research. First off solar panels that are properly mounted are on raised tracks to allow air to flow under them to keep them cooler. If the panels get over heated they generate less energy. Second, even if someone was able to make a protective glass layer that wouldn't get ripped off in our Wind storms it would get scratched to hell by a roof rake that's designed for shingles. So those would need a redesign as well. But roof rakes don't do any good when everything gets iced over thus defeating the use of the panels anyway.
And finally if you do the research you'd find that one way to make solar roofs is to make the roof itself from solar panels that are solar cells encased in some type of high density plastic. This solves the track problem, makes the roof look nicer, and every square inch of the roof is a solar panel generating energy. - libkarl2, on 12/28/2008, -2/+3The article was *very* low on information. It read like some half-assed neo-con talking points memo.
- adkenc, on 12/27/2008, -0/+1CLEARLY since Texas has little snow, this would be useless.
/hardy har - libkarl2, on 12/28/2008, -1/+1Speaking of wasted money: $4.50 for a gallon of gasoline!
- inactive, on 12/27/2008, -2/+2Change the roof design. Use Glass panels ( 1.25 inches double bonded with plastic insert) to act as the roof and place the panels under them. Its not rocket science..
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