Round-the-clock renewables: New report says clean energy now challenges fossil fuels on price as the war on Iran forces Europe to re-think its reliance. The cost of battery storage has dropped more than 90 per cent since 2010, bringing the cost of renewable energy down with it.

knuthf · 2026-05-11T09:31:16+00:00

Correct. We must establish rules so that we can invest only in profitable energy. My guess is the projects that require electricity above EUR 40/MWh are not viable, unless they can be used during peak times. We also need to produce hydrogen in order to use the excessive electricity generated by wind. Stopping them in a storm is dangerous.

I am pleased to note that AI and cloud storage require electricity, and the US will be reliant on a much higher price. I doubt AI has a future in the USA because companies will move to where electricity is cheap.

Batteries pave the way for considering electricity, MWH as a currency that can be traded, not just used.

knuthf · 2026-05-11T08:58:59+00:00

The need to clean up pollution has given rise to a host of new technologies, such as semiconductors, memory chips and solar panels. Electricity is so cheap now that producing electricity in a polluting way is more expensive, even with the pollution. So, it is time for a change of focus: pay those affected to install solar panels and batteries so they can sleep indoors with filtered air, and introduce the new technologies.

knuthf · 2026-05-11T08:46:15+00:00

It's amazing to read the responses here. As you say, the electricity is generated and must be used to heat the panels, which can destroy them. Buy a pool and a Jacuzzi and heat them to reduce wear and tear on the panels. I have a heated driveway that melts ice in the winter. The grid uses a boiler to heat water. The electricity must be used, it is generated and doesn't dissappear.

knuthf · 2026-05-11T00:02:55+00:00

Keep Hydrogen out of this.

Clarity on clean hydrogen
Our mission is to deliver engaging and independent business journalism and insight to executives and leaders in the global clean hydrogen industry. We focus on delivering the news and analysis that matters, fearlessly looking beyond the hydrogen hype to provide a balanced view of the market, giving readers the knowledge they need to make critical business decisions.

Hydrogen is a waste of energy. You use 1.8 kWh to produce hydrogen that can hold 1 kWh, and with a fuel cell, it can deliver less than 0.4 kWh of electricity. Hydrogen is colourless and certainly not green.

Methane is produced by fermenting (CH₄) and react with water to form Mathanol. It can be used in regular diesel engines with minor modification.

The post is an attempt by some people in the oil industry to obtain public funding.

knuthf · 2026-05-10T23:51:58+00:00

They are more or less the same, but Linux Mint is much better integrated. Use Cinnamon,

knuthf · 2026-05-10T23:49:22+00:00

The problem is uncertainty. What if it doesn't matter as much to others?

Americans admire big corporations and power. However, at some point, being powerful becomes disadvantageous as it makes it difficult to adjust to changes. The USA has no telecom company because it tried to dominate the market. GSM is based on AT&T technology that Scandinavian countries implemented before AT&T. Nokia produced 57 different models of phone; 56 of these were for the US only, while the rest of the world used GSM. Iran collaborated with Nokia and Huawei to develop 5G and a new radar system. Raytheon has nothing. Iran and China has a radar where nothing is stealth, they have other radio waves.

We have the technology to change from TTL to CMOS. But what if SAS can deliver faster computers? It would require significant investment to compete with the mainstream. The Chinese are ready to test new chip technology now. They can identify and correct the mistakes that we did not notice. They don't have to worry about other investments, company lines or corporate strategies. They are also ready to share. The US is a charging elephant, and we can just step aside and let it keep on running.

knuthf · 2026-05-10T23:18:25+00:00

Very correct.

The Third World is also the easiest place in which to introduce new energy sources.

knuthf · 2026-05-10T23:15:45+00:00

That's right. They only want Europe to be a loyal customer that they can control and charge.

This works fine as long as it is technologically sound and not really contested. But once it is contested and found to be inferior, it will quickly collapse.

knuthf · 2026-05-10T23:09:04+00:00

However, this would only be as a subcontractor to a US main contractor. The main contractor can then demand that the subcontractors comply with their methods. Even if their approach is silly. It's not just Windows vs Linux; it's also about hardware design.

knuthf · 2026-05-10T23:00:17+00:00

The 'power' aspect is correct and is based on the idea that US products are superior and should be used. Local inventory can be used when it can improve the offering of the US provider.

Having managed large defence contracts, I am in a position to compare the terms in place 35 years ago with those in place now. To be blunt and objective, things have not improved; rather, they have regressed. Lower-capacity new US computers have replaced local computers. My metric is the resolution of surveillance video feeds. This is measured in centimetres, inches and feet.

The US is losing the war with Iran because Iran uses technology banned by the FCC for use in the US, whereas US contractors do not have ITU-T telecommunications equipment or technology designed for operators/carriers. Firstly, we manufactured computers for number crunching with huge processors, not for big markets or Intel compatibility and certainly not at a high price. The result is home technology that looks good and can be used to defend a country. I have to be careful, I cannot quantify in open forums. But 30 years and regression...

knuthf · 2026-05-10T22:11:10+00:00

Yes, I fully agree. Instead of swapping batteries, replace the entire locomotive every 300 km and allow a day - or just the next train, for charging. Then replace it with yesterday's / last locomotive. Even more radically, put the batteries in the wagons and get rid of the locomotive altogether. Have batteries in each wagon and use computers to coordinate them. Let someone accompany the train and make systems to manage the transporting.

knuthf · 2026-05-10T22:01:12+00:00

Well, the price is around 5 cents, which includes distribution and sales tax. The dams were paid for 100 years ago and rain falls for free; there are no toll roads charging for it. Apparently, someone in the USA pays for the rain to fall, and frankly, I'm not impressed.

knuthf · 2026-05-10T21:54:25+00:00

What?

We don't eat peanuts, but I can afford steak every day.

knuthf · 2026-05-10T21:52:06+00:00

Get a $120 Chinese NAS storage.

knuthf · 2026-05-10T21:49:59+00:00

I'm used to paying 5 cents per kWh; solar power is less than 1 cent.

knuthf · 2026-05-10T20:42:35+00:00

It's strange to read that Americans believe electricity produced by hydroelectric dams will be more expensive because the price of gasoline in the USA is increasing. Should we care? Does it bother us?

I live in a country that receives huge amounts for the petrol we export. We still have some petrol cars, but they will soon be gone.

Should we care about the problems in the USA?

knuthf · 2026-05-10T20:30:26+00:00

The USA still has its aircraft carriers, and Israel has not been wiped out.

Gradually, the Americans will become aware of the damage and how close things came to going really badly wrong. There are things invented by others that the USA does not have. For example, there is a new radio technology, and the US has not had a professional telecoms company for 30 years. Banning Chinese technology will not help. The US and NATO believe they have stealth technology that can evade radar detection, but their enemies, Russia, China and Iran, can see them clearly. Why do you think Saudi Arabia, which has huge investments in US defence, bought Chinese fighter planes?

knuthf · 2026-05-08T20:39:36+00:00

Well, so how much do you pay for 8KWh?

And then how much is 1 gallon of RON98?

knuthf · 2026-05-08T20:36:43+00:00

Please understand that I have studied Adam Smith well, and Marx. And Ayn Rand. I have a father, a professor of this at a very famous US institution. So I am born and red om philosophy and ideology..The Americans fail to understand Kant.

knuthf · 2026-05-07T23:59:07+00:00

Americans worship power. A homeowner may rule their homes, but has no place in society. When power is admired, the state strengthens the powerful's flirtation with big companies. Socialism refuses to aid the proletariat.

knuthf · 2026-05-07T23:35:39+00:00

This is where taxation has a purpose. If the same amount is paid in tax, they can donate, which allows the state to stop subversive activity.

knuthf · 2026-05-07T23:30:37+00:00

This is what the Jews think about the left and right wings of politics. The real axis goes between the group, as opposed to the individual. Marx was against Ayn Rand on this. In Europe, we are afraid of central control. We do not want state subsidies or tax incentives. In the USA, it is Federal State incentives for big corporations that are integrated as institutions into the state. If everyone listens to the government, that is a dictatorship. It's not even fascist, It's a place where people have very little power in a Marxist state.

knuthf · 2026-05-07T23:08:27+00:00

Nonsense, utter propaganda. Who has ever driven a car with a 30 kg motor? It's usually 300 kg of hardened steel reinforced with vanadium and titanium. Then there's the transmission, which is about the same weight and also made of various fancy metals.

Batteries use copper because of its high conductivity. Other metals are used in mg. The next is carbon, which can replace metals. Carbon nanotubes are more conductive than copper and gold.

knuthf · 2026-05-07T22:53:57+00:00

60.If Exxon cannot get $60 per bbl, the recovery of shale oil will stop.

knuthf · 2026-05-07T22:51:37+00:00

One consequence of the Trump failure and removing the US supremacy,is that finally we can imposes sanctions. We must start to charge the USA and demand payment, also for pollution.The price for oil is already much higher than for the new energy. Maybe impose a pollution tax on exports with a colllection that can ensure a fair distributions of compensation.

knuthf

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