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The Kyoto 'Green Energy' Agreement
The Kyoto agreement is a document compiled at a world greenhouse gas meeting at Kyoto in Japan. The meeting are attempting to get agreement betweenthe worlds governments to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses being released to the air. It takes the form of limiting greenhouse gas emmissions to 1990 levels.
Many of the significant nations of the world have agreed to do this. Notably the USA (largest creator of greenhouse gasses) has not signed. Nor has Australia.
However, Aiustralia has taken several highly constructive steps to move in the direction of encouraging greenhouse gas reduction. Legislation has been enacted to
More detail is on the greenhouse gas abatement site at www.greenhouse.gov.au
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Comparison of solar pond generated power with some alternative energy systems
The wholesale price of coal fired power in South Australia (as at May 2002) is 4c per kWh, The retail price is 15c per kWh.
Peak (spot) power prices in mid summer can be as high as $4000 per kWh.
Electricity produced in a 0.3ha solar pond is 15kWh at a price of 12c/kWh (without any distribution cost)
This power rating is conservative and in the sunny parts of the South Australia (eg where there are at least 250 rain free days) such a pond should deliver this power output day and night through summer and winter.
Capital invested is $21 per peak kW installed - (same as average power). Larger installations would be cheaper per kW but we have little experience of bigger systems so accurate pricing is not possible
Huge areas of South Australia (and Western Australia, and NSW, and VICTORIA, and - in another 50 years, Queensland ) are subject to dryland salinity and therefore have massive resources of saline water and land which is useless for agriculture. Where these areas correspond with many sunny days per year, and poor wind resources,then solar ponds are the obvious choice.
A number of sites are ideally suited to wind power with over of 200 days of wind of a velocity suitable for generating power. Even in these sites, it is expected that the system would only function 60% of the time.
Modern wind generators (as at 2002) are 1MW peak capacity. So the capital cost of wind power is $1m and cost an additional $1m to install. (equivalent to $2 / installed peak watt). Allowing for the 40% down time - $3.33 per average kW output. Cost of the power is expected to be 6c /MWh.
Solar cells are not really an alternative for larger power systems, mainly because the cost of the cells themselves is so great.
A 'house sized' installation of 2.4kW costs $25,000 (less govt subsidy of $7000) or $1231 per year amortised over 35 years. This would normally yield power only in daylight hours with an average output of around 3520 kWh / yr, making the cost of power $2.85 /kWh. (This price is doubled for a stand alone unit with battery power for after dark )
Larger insallations are just aggregations of more solar cells so the cost per unit of power is not likely to change as the system is scaled up.
This method does have the advantage of 'install and forget' - essentially zero maintenance (except for batteries).
This is the common 'remote area' power supply. It is high maintenance method but highly portable.
Cost of running is 35c per kWH in fuel but cost of maintenance needs to be included.
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Soil Water Solutions, 45a Ormond Avenue, Daw Park, South Australia 5041
ABN 43 610 650 060
Phone 61 (08) 8276 7706 (all hours) (no fax)