Comments on: World Will Need 48% Renewables By 2035 To Address Climate

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 17:29:00 +0000

What’s often left
out of the discussion about the cost to transition to renewables is the
fact that we would be spending very large amounts of money on plant
replacement even if we stayed with coal and nuclear.

The
average lifespan of coal plants in the US is 40 or 50 years, depending
on the data source. I haven’t found a definitive source (feel free to
locate one).

The planned lifespan for a nuclear reactor is
generally 40 years. We are now pushing some toward 60 years, but we
can’t push them on forever.

Over
the next 20 years, as we install wind, solar and other renewables we
will see coal and nuclear plants closed simply because they are worn
out. Those are costs we will incur, regardless of what we do. When we
talk about the cost of a renewable grid we should subtract those costs,
they are business as usual costs, not unique to changing our energy
sources.

A picture of our plant age at the bottom. Our coal/nuclear energy production infrastructure is long of tooth….

By: Will E

Will E — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 17:16:00 +0000

total cost of investment is an estimated 6 trillion.
I think a trillion is 1000 billion. The EU States burn every year 1000 billion on fossil fuels.
so compared to that, 6 trillion is minor to transit to renewables, because it will save the cost of fossil fuel costs. every year 1000 billion.
the crisis is, consumers buy fossil fuels, money gone, and than they burn it.
the EU consumers burn 1000 billion euros a year, every year. that can stop by transit to renewables.
and stop the money drain from the EU.
when I, as a person, burn every day 100 Euros , you will say that’s crazy.
but when the EU burns a 1000 billion every year its normal

By: JamesWimberley

JamesWimberley — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 17:11:00 +0000

The biggest single jump between “current policies” and “450 scenario” is in CSP: 122 twh/yr to 806 twh/yr. For most technologies, it’s more like doubling. We are meant to think: it’s doable, just, if we start tomorrow.

The title of the post suggests it’s 48% of all energy. The post immediately makes it clear that it’s 48% of all electricity, However, the 450 scenario implies a massive shift to electricity and away from oil and gas, for example in transport and space heating.