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Worried-Pizza-3460 t1_j4mwtlj wrote

The only issue with renewables is they need grid storage (possible) and back up from other power sources (nuclear) and it does not solve the issue of heat, generating heat with electricity is expensive, industry in particular but people too tend to like cheap heat.

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snoogins355 t1_j4n1h2g wrote

Where Vehicle to Grid (V2G) technology will be interesting to see in the next 5-10 years with EV adoption. Plug in your car at 5PM and help supplement the grid and get the power back overnight, might makes some $ too

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Surur t1_j4n2kp9 wrote

Even better would be to charge at work from cheap solar and then return it during the duck curve.

I just had an interesting business idea - make a parking garage for cars with V2G capability (probably best at a Park and Ride facility) covered with a solar roof, charge the cars in the day and deliver the energy in the evening using a virtual battery. People get cheap parking, you get a cheap battery and the grid gets cheap energy. Win,win,win.

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snoogins355 t1_j4n8442 wrote

Beam has that on a small scale https://beamforall.com/

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Outrageous-Echo-765 t1_j4np6p1 wrote

I'm saving over 100€ per month during the winter since switching from gas to a heat pump. The 21st century rocks.

We are also seeing growth in industrial heat pumps and electric furnaces where applicable.

So while some applications will keep relying on fossil heat, electric heating can actually be a lot cheaper in many applications.

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Worried-Pizza-3460 t1_j4nrd08 wrote

I've worked construction, I've worked around a massive redvelopment involving ASHP and the problems that estate is having is legion. They really don't work as well as they hoped though I am pleased for you that you are having a good experience.

But 1000+ cases does not replicate your positive experience and the costs of installation (naturally inflated by being council of course) were very high because you need bigger radiators and a lot more insulation due to them running 10 degrees cooler.

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Outrageous-Echo-765 t1_j4nv1u7 wrote

I mean you can also pair them with an HVAC system instead of relying on central heating, but that also comes with it's own installation problems. Roughly how long ago was this construction project, if you don't mind me asking? Heat pump technology has developed very quickly in the last decade.

Lastly I just want to share a short article about the heat pump market. Over 30% sales increase in Europe is absolutely massive, and that's with supply chain issues in the mix.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/gas-crisis-driving-heat-pump-boom-in-europe-iea-says/

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Worried-Pizza-3460 t1_j4o4gb0 wrote

2022 mate where are you from because ASHP work very different efficiencies depending on ambient temperatures. I'm in the UK and for various reasons our temperature variation is truly bad for its efficiency.

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Outrageous-Echo-765 t1_j4piga5 wrote

I'm from Portugal and have very mild winters, which is a blessing. But heat pump sales are also rocketing in places like Norway and Iceland. A lot of sales in these countries are from ground source, but ASHP are also on the rise there.

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Northstar1989 t1_j4p4bnu wrote

Sadly, heat pumps often don't work as well as expected.

My mother is obsessed with getting one, but she lives in New England. I keep trying to explain they're not rated for New England level winter heating...

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Outrageous-Echo-765 t1_j4pi8si wrote

they work just fine in norway and iceland, you just need to get an appropriate model.

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Northstar1989 t1_j4sueay wrote

Not the ones largely sold in the United States, at least.

Also, Iceland has much, much greater geothermal potential than New England: so that one, at least, really is a poor comparison.

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Tech_Philosophy t1_j4qjj83 wrote

> generating heat with electricity is expensive

God damn it, it is not ok to be this uninformed this far into the climate crisis. Heat-pumps are about 400% efficient now and work down to -20 for the latest models.

Remember, heat-pumps generate NO heat whatsoever, they simply move heat from one location (often the atmosphere) to another (like your home or hot water tank). It is energetically much cheaper to move heat than to create it. Thinking of it like that, the sun is what is doing about 80% of the work when you use a heat-pump.

Burning gas or anything else on site will be 4-6 times less efficient, even if you are getting all your electricity from coal (you most likely are not).

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Northstar1989 t1_j4p45t4 wrote

Home heating, you mean?

Yeah, still a major problem, don't know why the morons are downvoting you.

We'll probably have to subsidize electric home-heating from renewable sources: kinda like how we already provide Home Heating Assistance for the elderly...

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Tech_Philosophy t1_j4qjqj0 wrote

> Yeah, still a major problem, don't know why the morons are downvoting you.

I'm going to repost my comment to OP here for you as well. I genuinely do not see the issue here and do not understand how we are all not on the same page.

Heat-pumps are about 400% efficient now and work down to -20 for the latest models.

Remember, heat-pumps generate NO heat whatsoever, they simply move heat from one location (often the atmosphere) to another (like your home or hot water tank). It is energetically much cheaper to move heat than to create it. Thinking of it like that, the sun is what is doing about 80% of the work when you use a heat-pump.

Burning gas or anything else on site will be 4-6 times less efficient, even if you are getting all your electricity from fossil fuels (you most likely are not, because it is 2023, not 2003).

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Northstar1989 t1_j4svkl5 wrote

>work down to -20 for the latest models.

Models that are are incredibly expensive.

It's going to take some subsidies to get off home heating oil. That was my entire thesis, and anyone who thinks it will naturally happen quickly enough through Capitalism and technological progress to save the (already very much screwed) planet without them is delusional...

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YsoL8 t1_j4pdhtw wrote

If you are using the car during the day and using it as a battery at night when are you charging it to make all this activity possible?

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Northstar1989 t1_j4pfioy wrote

I wasn't even talking about EV's bro.

You're clearly a bot.

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