Electricity costs and carbon emissions, by technology

The European Commission has issued a technical document that rounds up cost and emissions data for the principal electricity generating technologies. It’s likely to be used as a reference document in E.U. energy policy discussions, so let’s see what’s in it.

The capacity credit of wind power

What happens when the wind doesn’t blow? How much of a wind farm’s output can be relied on as “firm” capacity, and how much backup generating capacity is needed? The answer is in a measure called the “capacity credit”.

Rooftop solar power in the UK – real world data

Twelve building-integrated PV (BIPV) projects in Britain were monitored under a UK government contract. Here are the cost and performance data.

A second look at solar power on roofspace

How much solar power will fit on England’s roofs? Here’s a second try at the question, this time with better data for total roof area.

How much solar power will fit on Britain’s roofs?

As the cost of solar photovoltaics falls, solar panels may well become ubiquitous on all domestic roofspace. How much energy would that give us?

Cow-sized UFO prangs wind turbine

The “flying cow” is the new unit of UFO mass.

Greens and nuclear energy, part 2: Who else?

Where does the green movement stand on nuclear energy? An internal debate has opened up, and several influential environmentalists now argue that more nuclear energy is needed to combat global warming. Who’s said what?

Greens and nuclear energy, part 1: Monbiot debates Porritt

George Monbiot caused a stir with a brief remark about nuclear energy. His follow-up TV debate with Jonathon Porritt gives a glimpse into the environmental movement’s evolving views on nuclear energy.

Energy payback ratios for electricity generation

How much energy does a power plant need to build, operate and decommission it? What is its energy payback ratio? How do different generating technologies compare? Here are the numbers.

Step one: home insulation

What is the most effective first step in carbon emissions reduction? What is the most effective measure an individual can take? These questions have the same answer.

The roadmap to magnetic confinement fusion

When, if ever, are we going to get fusion power?

The capacity factor of wind power

A wind turbine’s ‘rated’ capacity is its maximum power at an optimum wind speed. This is the value commonly quoted for a wind farm’s ‘installed capacity’. How does this compare with the wind farm’s average power output? That is, what is the capacity factor of wind power?