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Distributed energy makes more sense than nuclear, or any centralised system

there are also massive losses of energy as we step it down from the plant to the grid to our homes and buildings. Instead, why not build a far more distributed energy system (or at least invest only in distributed energy going forward)?

Does nuclear power make sense?, Huffington Post, 22 march 11 Who really knows what the outcome might be from the frightening breakdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant ( the radioactive releases could go on for months)? But the speculation about what this means for a much-touted nuclear “renaissance” in the U.S. began in earnest last week. As the New York Times reported, “U.S. Nuclear Industry Faces New Uncertainty.”….
Does Nuclear Energy Make Sense? For solid analyses on all things energy, I look to long-time expert Amory Lovins and his impressive assortment of in-depth studies. In a couple of reports, “Four Nuclear Myths,” and “Nuclear Power: Competitive Economics and Climate Protection Potential,” Lovins tackles the economics of building and insuring nukes, among other things. In short, compared to focusing on energy efficiency, nuclear is really expensive. [Since I first posted this, Lovins wrote a HuffPost piece with much more detail on these arguments.]

Without going into massive detail on economics, I’ve always liked the really simple logic around renewables — they have zero variable cost (wind, sunshine, and underground heat are free). Lovins and others put more data around how the economics of renewables will win out over time, but basically, free is hard to beat.

2) Does any centralized energy make sense?

This may be a more heretical question, but it may actually drive us to an answer faster than the question about nuclear power itself: why do we generate energy at large plants on a grid to begin with? There are efficiencies of course, and the need for baseload power, but there are also massive losses of energy as we step it down from the plant to the grid to our homes and buildings. Instead, why not build a far more distributed energy system (or at least invest only in distributed energy going forward)?

What I mean by this is solar on every roof, geothermal in every basement, local wind turbines in every neighborhood and on city buildings, and an electric car storing energy in every garage……

Andrew Winston: Does Nuclear Energy Make Sense?

March 22, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, decentralised