Science Forums 2

[UncleAl]

Keep it simple with thermodynamics: All desired output less inputs and waste over the lifetime of the generator. A solar cell makes no net energy until its manufacturing inputs (energy, materials, waste; eventual disposal) are covered. A fossil fuel power plant, wind generator, nuclear power plant, fuel ethanol... are no different. Area necessary to generate 1 GW electrical, theoretical minimum,

mi^2
Area Modality
============
1000 biomass
0300 wind
0060 solar
0000.3 nuclear

Text formatting aside, who's your daddy? Now look at fuel from crops ignoring ALL inputs like fertilizer, insecticide and herbicide, tractor fuel, etc. Iodine Number measures unsaturation - bad for fuel for causing sludge in the tank and varnish in the engine as oil paint cures in air. Corn will give you 18 gal/acre IN=125, olives (and opium poppy) 129 gal/acre with IN~100, avocado 282 gal/acre IN=85, oil palm 635 gal/acre IN= 37-54 (35 times better than corn). Why isn't Louisiana planted into multi-$billion/year wealth?

How do we know fuel ethanol from corn is corrupt crap? All fermentation facilities run on fossil fuels, every one of them. Why don't they use cheap fuel ethanol instead? Because fuel ethanol costs a fortune and is a net 40% energy LOSS.

Pulling few hundred or thousand gigawatts out of the Earth's winds worldwide will slow its planetary spin (momentum exchange). Remember that the typical wind turbine output averages less than 1/3 its nameplate capacity. A fossil fuel power plant is about 90% efficient.

Civilization knows what it is doing, Luddite Enviro-whiners do not.