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-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class=3D"Apple-style-spa --Apple-Mail-173-730837331 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Paul, On 29-Aug-12, at 11:32 AM, Paul MacDonald wrote: > The compelling reason Dave would be cost. > Although it is very possible, it would require somewhere in the order > of twice the investment. The amortized costs of building "pumped storage" reservoir systems are =20= actually extremely modest. For example, the enormous Dinorwig Power =20 Station in Wales (a facility of this sort) cost =A3425 million (=3D $665 = =20 million CAD) to construct, a substantial initial outlay, but =20 reservoirs of this sort have extremely long lives (on the order of =20 centuries, if not longer) so the amortized annual costs are very low. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinorwig_Power_Station Dinorwig operates at 74-75% efficiency returning 3/4 of the energy =20 involved in pumping the water into the reservoir. In adjusting to =20 energy use in the grid it can be ramped up from a dead start to full =20 speed in 75 seconds delivering 1,800 MW of power which it can sustain =20= for up to 6 hours (it is normally used for very much shorter intervals =20= in adjusting electricity load balance within the U.K. grid). If you built this reserve capacity using conventional fossil-fuel =20 generating plants they would emit on the order of 140,000 tonnes of =20 carbon dioxide annual into the atmosphere, so Dinorwig provides a =20 substantial environmental savings that benefits climate change. > In addition there would be the power leakage > at the windmill, the pumps and the turbine all to consider not > too mention water evaporation. Some water can evaporate, but it can also rain, and with additional =20 runoff flowing into the reservoir, you get power for nothing! > A great idea for our Great grand children! Not just for our great grand children, but for us! This is an idea =20 that is happening today, and with the continued development of =20 renewable energy we are going to be seeing many more. Nova Scotia is a =20= a bit of a disadvantage in this regard because of our topography. It =20 greatly helps to have mountains around where such facilities can be =20 located (the higher up you can pump water the smaller the reservoir =20 capacity required). In this regard, perhaps the most promising part of =20= the province for such developments might be in the highlands of Cape =20 Breton. If reservoirs can be situated not far from wind power =20 generating facilities, then electricity transmission losses can also =20 be minimized. Cheers, Chris Christopher Majka - columnist, Rabble.ca Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Email: c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca http://rabble.ca/blog/26142 "The significant problems of our time cannot be solved by the same =20 level of thinking that created them." - Albert Einstein --Apple-Mail-173-730837331 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Paul,<div><br><div><div>On = 29-Aug-12, at 11:32 AM, Paul MacDonald wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><div = style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); = font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: = 12pt; position: static; z-index: auto; "><div><span>The compelling = reason Dave would be cost.</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, = 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, = serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; ">Although it = is very possible, it would require somewhere in the order</div><div = style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new = roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; = font-style: normal; ">of twice the investment. = </div></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>The amortized costs = of building "pumped storage" reservoir systems are actually extremely = modest. For example, the enormous Dinorwig Power Station in Wales = (a facility of this sort) cost =A3425 million (=3D $665 million = CAD) to construct, a substantial initial outlay, but reservoirs of this = sort have extremely long lives (on the order of centuries, if not = longer) so the amortized annual costs are very = low. </div><div><br></div><div><span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" = style=3D"white-space:pre"> <a = href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinorwig_Power_Station">http://en.wik= ipedia.org/wiki/Dinorwig_Power_Station</a></span></div><div><br></div><div= >Dinorwig operates at 74-75% efficiency returning 3/4 of the energy = involved in pumping the water into the reservoir. In adjusting to energy = use in the grid it can be ramped up from a dead start to full speed in = 75 seconds delivering 1,800 MW of power which it can sustain for up to 6 = hours (it is normally used for very much shorter intervals in adjusting = electricity load balance within the U.K. = grid).</div><div><br></div><div>If you built this reserve capacity using = conventional fossil-fuel generating plants they would emit on the order = of 140,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annual into the atmosphere, so = Dinorwig provides a substantial environmental savings that benefits = climate change.</div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><div = style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); = font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: = 12pt; position: static; z-index: auto; "><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, = 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, = serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; ">In addition = there would be the power leakage</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); = font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, = serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; ">at the = windmill, the pumps and the turbine all to consider not</div><div = style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new = roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; = font-style: normal; ">too mention water = evaporation.</div></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Some = water can evaporate, but it can also rain, and with additional runoff = flowing into the reservoir, you get power for = nothing!</di