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Thanks for the links! I will read through them.

If you can build 200MW of power in one installation versus 200MW over 5 or 10 installations of PV or wind, the investment industry will look more favourably on giving you the money.

That's an argument to change the rules for the investment industry, not against microgeneration. The point, again, is power: once the large semi-monopolists are back in power on the market, they will again aim at stiffling the 'competition', not at expanding renewables. (This is one of the reasons feed-in tariffs work better than certificates; and that most - but not all - existing quasi-monopolist utilities make little use of, and fight feed-in tariffs tooth-and-nails.) So in the end, I am okay with large utilities taking part in renewables development, but the rules of the game should be set up so that there is a de-facto clear priority for new players entering the 'market'.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Wed Jul 9th, 2008 at 07:36:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The nice thing about the feed-in tariffs is that all the countries that have good tariffs for big projects (like Spain) have even better ones for microgeneration (I think it's about 50 euros a kWh better in spain), so you get to have both. The ideal is obviously to have microgeneration on most rooves that can support them, with big utility projects in wind, solar thermal, CPV, hydro and eventually tidal and wave adding big numbers to the multitude of smaller installations.

My priority is getting the number of megawatts supplying electricity renewably up as fast and effectively as possible. Every possible tech and scale is needed.

by darrkespur on Wed Jul 9th, 2008 at 07:42:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Wind is typically big utility project in the US, but less so in much of the EU (but, well, big utilities are on it just in Spain). Good for farmers. I'm somewhat sceptical of tidal and wave; not because of technology, but total energy harvestable (at least on the shores of the EU). But even if a small part, they can be part of the mix.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Wed Jul 9th, 2008 at 09:12:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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