Comments on: Powering Sydney with the sun? Not if the pols can help it

By: garyb

garyb — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

while solar thermal has potential, it does not operate at night.

another technology languishing due to government indifference is planned for Wentworth, on the north side of the Murray near Mildura.

tallest structure in the world
24/7 power generation
200MW output

completely sustainable!
physics textbooks first listed this project as world leading 6 years ago...

it needed $70million to get it going

compare this with wind farms..and other solar thermals

they do not compare

so why?

maybe something to do with mission energy has the patent onthe technology

the market rules...again.

btw the hydrogen economy conference held three years ago postulated thehydrogen economy would 'kick in' once petrol hit $4 a litre

so lets raise the price and get on with it!
then we need a low cost source of electricity to make(release) the hydrogen

pity the coal fired generators...all that coal and electricity that no-one will want
seems that is the reason for little/no development of alternatives

only time will tell
the planet will live on...maybe without the humans

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

That Robert Gottliebsen article from ‘Business Spectator’ was about the worst thing I’ve ever read. Superficial set of arguments that seemed to point to one conclusion only — the need for a ‘WorkChoices’ style IR system in NSW. Telling bizoids what they want to hear, no doubt. It has nothing to do with mistakes in implementing solar research in NSW by Labor. I’m more concerned with Labor’s lack of interest in affordable housing solutions in Sydney, which is also harmful to the economy, and the massive conflicts of interest and potential for corruption between the Minister for Planning and developers, various politicians and Macquarie Bank, and so on.

By: alan carpenter

alan carpenter — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

solar thermal actually operates at night well enough. Fluids are heated during the day and then used to generate steam while the sun is off watch.

By: 'Ian'

'Ian' — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

It continues a well worn practice of behaviour by the Labor state government. Pacific Solar which was part of the state owned electricity generator Pacific Power , and a leader in PV technology, was sold to foreigners rather than nutured by the government and when Eraring Energy (NSW state owned) tried to build more wind farms in JV with a Spansih outfit NSW treasury made them can the deal well into the planning process. But they are great at having slogans, state plans and advertising campaigns, remember ‘Its a living thing’. What have we done to deserve a mob like this, not to mention the looney/dopey alternative. Could ‘Get Up’ or similiar, please choose a party (toss a coin), organise membership of that party and take it over…. saves on building a new brand and, as Mark Latham so eloquently pointed out in his book : take out the union membership and you are left with only a few thousand actual members of the party. Its time for action in NSW!

PS Maybe the memory of the Harry Messell / Neville Wran solar deal at White Cliffs in NSW’s far west 30 years ago , which was well intentioned but a flop, cruelled it for everyone else, however its not an excuse

By: Allan Yeomans

Allan Yeomans — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Thought you might find this one amusing

Bruce

By: Shark

Shark — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

“He predicted that the results were so impressive that if the project was expanded, then Sydney could be powered by solar thermal power down the grid within three years.”
This statement is quite misleading. Surely the statement should say that SOME of Sydney’s power could come from solar thermal power within three years.