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259 comments on DrumBeat: July 26, 2006

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step back on July 26, 2006 - 11:46am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Did you see that side article (San Jose Merc) about how demand is going to outstrip electrical supply by 2008?
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tate423 on July 26, 2006 - 12:00pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
And they didn't think that could happen for like anothe 2-3 yrs right?  Why aren't people trying to change this, rather than bitch about it though?
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Twilight on July 26, 2006 - 12:30pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Put more dead cows in the landfills and take the methane for use in generating electricity!
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Don in Colorado on July 26, 2006 - 12:48pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Where I live in western Colorado, dead cows are composted by the county and  used as soil fertilizer.

This is because the regional rendering plant went out of business a few years ago, and we were forced to do something environmentally creative for a change.

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GreyZone on July 26, 2006 - 12:46pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
For at least part of it they have little choice. California had 29 million people in 1990 but 33 million in 2000 and is expected to hit 38 million in 2010. Even if per capita consumption remains the same that's a 31% growth in total consumption over 20 years, and California has not exactly been quick to add new generating capacity. In order to lower demand they would have to add constant conservation gains greater than the rate of growth, forever - an obviously impossible situation - or they have to stop population growth.
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Jon Kutz on July 26, 2006 - 3:46pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I came across something could possibly help, but -----

My hot water heater is getting older and I started to think about a replacement (rural Minnesota) and I got to thinking about our discussion of Heat Pumps and got to wondering if anyone had ever made a heat pump water heater? A quick "google" gave me the answer. Yes, but they were expensive. There was a gov effort to help develop one that would be affordable. Would use half or less of the electricity used by a standard electric water heater to heat the same amount of water. It would provide dehumidifing in the basement as a "free" side benefit.
With the high (and going higher) price of propane I sure would expend the extra bucks (up to double the price of a standard water heater) to go with a heat pump water heater. I am currently persuing info on availability, prices and COP.
More info here:
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/btc/apps/hotwater.html

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Rajiv on July 26, 2006 - 6:15pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
You may also be interested in using "EcoCute"

More details here


Since 1999, a heat pump based on CO2 technology has been providing a Norwegian company with many advantages:

    * 22 kW heating capacity
    * 5.5 measured co-efficiency of performance (COP)
    * 80-90 C water temperature
    * Economic payback of invested money in less than three years


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Wharf Rat on July 28, 2006 - 5:59am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Tankless water heaters...

http://www.tanklesswaterheatersdirect.com/shop/tanklesswaterheaters/aquastar/aquastarindex.htm

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Kevembuangga on July 28, 2006 - 7:01am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Ever tried to have a shower with a tankless water heater?
Good luck!
You will find out...

(OK, I'll spare you the anguish: no way it can properly regulate the temp mitigation)

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Wharf Rat on July 28, 2006 - 3:22pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
 I have one.
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tstreet on July 27, 2006 - 2:31pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Keep wrenching up the price of elecricity for heavy users,like they are doing.  At some point, maybe people will move.  Also, require that all new homes have PV, passive solar, and solar thermal. We have a crisis that will only exacerbate a bigger crisis if we give into those who want to expand supply with fossil fuels.

Any centralized supply increases should be wind/hydro/maybe nuclear/solar based.  

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westexas on July 26, 2006 - 7:52pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Of course, I think that 2008 is when Richard Duncan predicted rolling blackouts.
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