Why we need more nuclear power plants. Wind cannot be relied upon for 40GW

[Borchester]

As far as I can see, the earth receives seven thousand times as much energy from the sun as we currently consume. So I imagine that the solution will be to lay out zillions of solar panels to take care of the Good Lord's bounty. But not near me. It would be like living in a business park

[Borg Refinery]

In a fusion reactor, the plasma needs to be heated to at least 100 million degrees and forced to collide using electromagnets. Sadly, plasma is unstable and unpredictable, so the all-important collisions are difficult to force.

Supposedly they are building a prototype..


https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03039-9

But we're lucky having the Sun, which generates its energy by nuclear fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium, will shine most days for the next few billion years — if only we could run leads from voltaic farms in places like the Mojave or Sahara deserts, like we do from EdF across the Channel...

Your sarc aside, we can generate a fair amount of electric from solar power even in the UK, maybe not the majority but a large minority.

It would be useful if we could re-nationalize our utilities and stop companies like EDF from exploiting us, let alone french sheepish childish sycophants who support them at every opportunity.

[Sheepy]

It will be alright though Pat won't it? with no gas for heating, no fossil fuel transport and over priced and never enough electricity, with already talk of rationing when we still suck on fossil fuels and still need them for producing anywhere near enough power, with previous bad planning making sure EDF has a ready made market, nah somebody will come up with something, maybe a warp drive that we can take power from.
I know,I bet the child prodigy has a secret plan apart from telling everyone they are c^^ts. Greta is planning a surprise unveiling. With Boris waving his arms around telling us how great it is.
All we had was Bob the saint Geldof, give us your fecking money, nothing has changed much, they are still begging for it for clean water.

[patman post]

So maybe you are right, we had a working fusion reactor somewhere in the country too if I remember right so maybe that would be better too..

In a fusion reactor, the plasma needs to be heated to at least 100 million degrees and forced to collide using electromagnets. Sadly, plasma is unstable and unpredictable, so the all-important collisions are difficult to force.

But we're lucky having the Sun, which generates its energy by nuclear fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium, will shine most days for the next few billion years — if only we could run leads from voltaic farms in places like the Mojave or Sahara deserts, like we do from EdF across the Channel...

[Barry]

I just looked at the current solar UK production and it is 0%. Can't think why it is so useless.

[Borg Refinery]

Anyone who thinks solar power is of much use in cloudy Britain is deluded. Especially above 52N

We 'use' it already and usage is going up..

"In 2017, solar accounted for 3.4% of Britain's total electricity generation, up from 3.1% in 2016. Solar power is the third most generated renewable energy in the UK"

It's about wind power Dyno, do try to stay focused. Having said that, you are the only person interested, so I won't be too hard on you.

Thank you gracious sir! Your generous, kindly spirit towards the somewhat-unhinged is most becoming!

Anyway, wind power is unreliable as you said, but building more nuclear power plants incurs huge lifetime costs, the decommissioning is usually a very large cost..

That said, the latest technology sounds promising and 'greener' than ever. https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/nick-butler-hinkley-sizewell-nuclear-power-rolls-royce

So maybe you are right, we had a working fusion reactor somewhere in the country too if I remember right so maybe that would be better too..

[Barry]

Anyone who thinks solar power is of much use in cloudy Britain is deluded. Especially above 52N
It's about wind power Dyno, do try to stay focused. Having said that, you are the only person interested, so I won't be too hard on you.

[Borg Refinery]

Check dis bruh:

https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2018/11/23/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-a-90-efficient-solar-panel/

In more immediate news, the uni of michigan thinks they can gen 40% of the US's power with organic solar panels attached to windows on houses.

Maybe that would be better and give us a distributed system not prone to cutouts.

[Barry]

Boris says we will be the Saudi Arabia of wind.
Others point out the reality that the wind sometimes does not turn the turbines.
https://youtu.be/NXq29amF-yE