102 comments on Understanding the current energy crisis in South Africa
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"The switch from coal or oil to electricity gives a BTU to GNP boost"
This defies logic and is not true for coal. In switching from a primary fuel source, such as coal or oil, to a converted form of energy always results in energy losses. For example using electricty for boiler heat requires twice as much base energy (turning coal's btu's into electricity is only 35% efficient considering steam cycle losses, line losses and transformation losses) as compared with burning the coal for that same process heat. Home heating with electric heat pump using ground source would be about same efficiency as burning coal if heat pump has COP of at least 3.
Always? Surely it depends on the end use. Consider a train hauled by a coal fired steam locomotive, a diesel locomotive and an electric locomotive.
If the power station has a higher eficiency than an internal combustion engine or an open coal fire...
Most important.
Electricity is a carrier.
Like Hydrogen.
""The switch from coal or oil to electricity gives a BTU to GNP boost"
To which mbnewtrain replied,
"This defies logic and is not true for coal. In switching from a primary fuel source, such as coal or oil, to a converted form of energy always results in energy losses."
Correct. The primary fuel switch was the one to attribute the gain in BTU to GNP boost, i.e., natural gas.
RC