Comments on: Cheap Wind Power Disrupting Brazilian Energy Market

By: Ronald Brakels

Ronald Brakels — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 01:54:00 +0000

I suppose that I should mention that solar is also cheap and taking off in Brazil, so while they’re already doing a great job, there’s no reason why Brazil’s electricity sector can’t easily go completely carbon neutral.

By: Ronald Brakels

Ronald Brakels — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 01:02:00 +0000

The amazon’s twice daily tidal surge is an immense potential source of energy for run of the river turbines, but there are practical difficulties in siting them.

By: alien9

alien9 — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:07:00 +0000

the interests on said dams are more about water courses diversion and subsequent rare earth exploration in drained areas.

By: tibi stibi

tibi stibi — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:34:00 +0000

energy is getting cheaper by the day

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:36:00 +0000

“current speeds range from 0.5-1.0 meters per second at low water, and twice that at flood stage. In localized areas, current speeds can reach as high as 3 meters (9.8 feet) per second”

Converting that into numbers that make sense to me, 1.1 to 2.2 miles per hour. 6.7 MPH in localized areas. Sounds like turbines would be workable if the best spots were used.

BTW, anyone know the average speed in the areas where tidal generators are now being installed in the UK?

By: Mohan Raj

Mohan Raj — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:35:00 +0000

Excellent. Wind energy is becoming bigger.
Install under water wind / wave turbines in Amazon river to generate more electricity. Natgas is ideal for heating/cooking/ industrial melting. So lets keep natgas for that purpose.

By: Wayne Williamson

Wayne Williamson — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:13:00 +0000

very good point…

By: James Wimberley

James Wimberley — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:41:00 +0000

The game to watch in Brazil is wind power’s undermining the case for huge new dams wrecking the Amazon rainforest. Hooray!
It’s s hard to see what justification the Brazilian government agency has for sheltering fossil fuels from competition. Brazil doesn’t have much gas and the offshore oil is declining.
Expect this to change. Luckily the wind resources is in the Nordeste: overpopulated, poor – and politically over-represented. Its state governors and senators must all be lobbying hard for wind.

By: Ronald Brakels

Ronald Brakels — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:29:00 +0000

Fortunately Brazil’s huge hydroelectric capacity matches well with wind power and if they need to add pumped storage they probably have suitable sites.