Electricity // Current TV

Post Apocalyptic Nick: Don't You Know About the Birds?

Nick and Martin's plan to light up post-apocalyptic Las Vegas goes off the rails.

TonyDiGerolamo
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1 year ago
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Still in the lantern age: Bihar

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-bihar-is-still-in-the-lantern-age/20... more

shital123
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1 year ago
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UK-Netherlands power cable represents the first step towards a renewable energy revolution

It stretches 260km under the North Sea, contains 23,000 tonnes of copper and lead, and may represent the first step towards a renewable energy revolution based on a European electricity "supergrid". The £500m BritNed cable, which has just entered operation, is the first direct current electricity link from the UK to another country in 25 years.

The high voltage DC (HVDC) cable, a joint venture between the UK National Grid and the Dutch grid operator TenneT, has a capacity of 1,000MW, the equivalent of a nuclear power station. It runs from the Isle of Grain in Kent to Maasvlakte, near Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

HVDC cables allow electricity to be transmitted over much greater distances than existing alternating current lines, which start losing power after 80km. A network of HVDC cables across Europe is seen as the key to "weather-proofing" the large scale use of renewable energy, some forms of which are intermittent and have to be balanced in real time with generation elsewhere.

"Our investment in this interconnector means that we are joining a much wider European electricity market," said Nick Winser, executive director of National Grid. "This ability we now have to move power across national borders means we can use the full potential of renewable energy from wind – making it easier to import when wind is not available and export when there is a surplus." In the short term, linking the UK and European grids boosts the UK's energy security and helps stabilise wholesale energy prices.

Chris Huhne, secretary of state for energy and climate change, said: "Renewables win as it means surplus wind power can be easily shared [and] consumers win as a single European market puts pressure on prices."

"This is a major step," said Louise Hutchins, head of UK energy campaigns at Greenpeace. "It sends a signal to renewable manufacturers that we're a step closer to unlocking the potential of one the world's main renewable power houses – the North Sea."

BritNed auctions the cable's transmission capacity on the open market and all 1,000MW was bought from the first hour of operation on 31 March. Since the start, electricity has flowed from the Netherlands to the UK most of the time. The project took about five years to complete and will be officially opened on 12 May.

The idea of a European supergrid gained momentum in December with the signing of an agreement by all 10 nations bordering the North Sea to, for example, co-ordinate the deployment of new HVDC cables. The North Sea offshore grid initiative, backed by the UK prime minister, David Cameron, aims to link renewable energy generation across the North Sea, including wind power from the UK, solar power in Germany and hydropower in Scandinavia, maximising the use of renewable energy.

Wilfried Breuer, head of power transmission solutions at Siemens, which manufactured and built the AC-DC conversion stations at each end of the BritNed powerline, said: "The supergrid will be built, but gradually. It's not one investment like a highway. It will develop over 10-15 years, leg by leg."

In the UK, the biggest driving force for new HVDC lines will be the 30GW of offshore windpower capacity planned for deployment before 2020. By comparison, the current total UK capacity from coal, gas, nuclear and other sources is 85GW. "HVDC lines are a commercially driven market. Excess wind power is an asset and you want to be able to sell that," said Breuer.

Another 10GW of HVDC lines are planned by 2020 including links from the UK to Norway, Belgium and France. The latter is the only nation with an existing HVDC link to the UK, a 2,000MW cable that has been in operation for 25 years. In 2001, a 500MW HVDC link crossed the Irish sea between Scotland and Northern Ireland. The HVDC line most likely to open next is within the UK, running south under the sea from near Glasgow to Liverpool. Scotland has the best wind power resource in Europe, according to trade body RenewableUK.It stretches 260km under the North Sea, contains 23,000 tonnes of copper and lead, and... more

pdy
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1 year ago
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Device Harnesses Wind Power from Passing Trains

When you think of wind power, you think of giant turbines harnessing big breezes. But... more

GoldenHeart
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1 year ago
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Artificial leaf that harvests solar energy makes debut

An artificial leaf that can turn sunshine into electricity was showcased last week at... more

JanforGore
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1 year ago
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66 comments

Soon we'll all live in tree houses. seriously!

(CleanTechnica)

Novek
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1 year ago
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SACRIFICE, OFFERING, ARPAN

alright brats - how much do you really love your earthMother ??? turn all the electric... more

arigg
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1 year ago
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Magnetic Reconnection And It's Unreported Problems

A video reading of the associated article which gives compelling evidence against the... more

fascistsoup
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1 year ago
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Magnetic Reconnection - Why Einstein Was Wrong

A detailed explanation of how mainstream science is engaging in academic fraud.

fascistsoup
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1 year ago
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Electricity Generating Dance Floors and Piezoelectric Roadways

Even if the planet doubled the amount of solar and wind power available tomorrow,... more

worrg
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1 year ago
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'Thinking Cap' Designed to Promote Creativity

The new device passes low levels of electricity through the brain to try and help... more

eva2
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1 year ago
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10 Vital Home Services We Take for Granted

When we look around our home there are many services in operation that we just expect... more

AngelAlina
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1 year ago
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'Modlet' Outlet Helps Eliminate Wasteful Power Use

Designed to plug into an existing wall outlet, the Modlet wirelessly monitors and... more

bethbot
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1 year ago
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Wind Turbines Might Help Crops Absorb More CO2, Fight Fungal Infections, Etc

According to the preliminary results from research done by DOE and University of... more

suzane
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1 year ago
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Electric Eel Powers Christmas Tree (VIDEO) - The Daily Blender

Bright idea. How many to power a house, I wonder? This eel gives up to 800 watts of... more

dryeraser
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1 year ago
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Cold Plasma Kills Bacteria Better Than Antibiotics

Scientists may have found a way to treat infections that works better than... more

rodstradamus
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1 year ago
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7 comments

What may be the solution to the Worlds Energy Crisis is called The Sahara Solar Breeder.

Sand as the solution to the world's energy woes? Or, more precisely, silica? The... more

Tweeter_Topics
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1 year ago
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What Does a Wind Farm Look Like?

Have you ever seen a wind farm up close? From up in the air? John Fischer uses... more

MPGomatic
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1 year ago
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About The Aura Of Your Hyper Conscious Field

I have been living a hyper conscious life for a about 4 years now and there are some... more

LuckyTripps
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1 year ago
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World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm Has Grand Opening Today

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39324391/ns/us_news-environment/ Whopper of a wind... more

EthicalVegan
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1 year ago
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