Re: Hinkley Point and enegy policy : Wed Oct 23, 2013 7:52 am  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

...Total approx energy consumption is very broadly 200m tonnes. So, big fan of solar panels on every roof though I am, they aren't going to really help that much, though you might be glad of yours when the powercuts start!...

Only 29% of total UK energy consumption is via domestic use.
For house with a South-facing (-ish) roof, that house's needs can be more than met by solar panels and free the householder from rapacious power company bills.

Granted, that's not much good for houses facing the "wrong" way, or for apartments etc ... but no-one is saying that solar panels are the single magic silver bullet to solve our problems, ditto for wind power, tidal power, ground-source heat pumps, air-source heat pumps, hydro etc etc ... but it all adds up and, IMHO, just because one of them is not the total solution does not mean that they are not worth doing.
I'm not suggesting that was your meaning but there are people out there who do suggest that ... Sir Bernard Ingham is one and vigorously supports nuclear at the drop of a hat via SONE (Supporters of Nuclear Energy).
Mind you, he (yes, even he) is opposed to the deal just done. My guess is that's because SONE is funded by the UK nuclear industry who will be somewhat miffed that a deal has been done with a Franco-Chinese consortium rather than with Ingham's paymasters.

Re: Hinkley Point and enegy policy : Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:38 am  

Don't see why solar panels aren't installed on every new suitable building being built. It'd add sod all to the cost of a new house.

Re: Hinkley Point and enegy policy : Wed Oct 23, 2013 9:56 am  

Him wrote:

Don't see why solar panels aren't installed on every new suitable building being built. It'd add sod all to the cost of a new house.

Probably because Eric Pickles doesn't like 'em

Re: Hinkley Point and enegy policy : Wed Oct 23, 2013 12:18 pm  

El Barbudo wrote:

My guess is that's because SONE is funded by the UK nuclear industry who will be somewhat miffed that a deal has been done with a Franco-Chinese consortium rather than with Ingham's paymasters.

Do we have a UK nuclear industry capable of building such a plant?

Re: Hinkley Point and enegy policy : Wed Oct 23, 2013 12:19 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

Probably because Eric Pickles doesn't like 'em

May he does like 'em but he's eaten 'em all?

Re: Hinkley Point and enegy policy : Wed Oct 23, 2013 12:27 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

Probably because Eric Pickles doesn't like 'em

Put them near some sandwiches and biscuits

Re: Hinkley Point and enegy policy : Wed Oct 23, 2013 3:18 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

Or we could simply issue treasury bonds to raise sufficient capital to build and run the sodding thing ourselves

Spot on, we build reactors for submarines in Derby at Rolls Royce, we have some excellent top end construction companies. Surely we could have done this and not had to give £ zillions over the years to other countries.

Re: Hinkley Point and enegy policy : Wed Oct 23, 2013 3:53 pm  

Him wrote:

Don't see why solar panels aren't installed on every new suitable building being built. It'd add sod all to the cost of a new house.

I live in Germany. They are everywhere. I drove down to Bavaria last year. I passed entire fields of solar panels on the way.

Re: Hinkley Point and enegy policy : Wed Oct 23, 2013 5:32 pm  

The Video Ref wrote:

I live in Germany. They are everywhere. I drove down to Bavaria last year. I passed entire fields of solar panels on the way.

Yep I've noticed them in Germany too, I love going to Germany, not sure why I just enjoy it more than other places for some reason.

As mentioned it's not THE answer and I'm not an expert on this by any means but surely it'd make a decent contribution if every new building had solar panels installed during construction? Not to mention providing plenty of half decent jobs?

Re: Hinkley Point and enegy policy : Wed Oct 23, 2013 6:10 pm  

Him wrote:

Yep I've noticed them in Germany too, I love going to Germany, not sure why I just enjoy it more than other places for some reason.

As mentioned it's not THE answer and I'm not an expert on this by any means but surely it'd make a decent contribution if every new building had solar panels installed during construction? Not to mention providing plenty of half decent jobs?

Not sure if they're available yet, but the next development in solar panels was going to be roof tiles made out of solar PV material so they'd look like a normal roof.
When that happens there really is no excuse.