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© KYODOTokyo Gas to install 19 offshore wind turbines in carbon-free push
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1glenn
Being able to survive a tsunami should be a consideration, but not the only consideration, when considering a power source. Not all wind turbines in Japan will be built in the location of a local tsunami, but those that are will not leak radiation after a major earthquake. As for birds, they fly into almost everything, not just wind turbines. It has been estimated that up to a billion birds are killed every year in North America because they flew themselves into tall structures, whether those be buildings, power lines, or airplanes. Birds have been flying into buildings since before wind turbines came onto the scene. It has been suggested that during bird migration season tall buildings turn their lights off, to avoid confusing birds flying at night.
Desert Tortoise
Somehow I just don't think a tidal energy system would survive a tsunami very well. I could be wrong, but .....
Desert Tortoise
Is that something the farmers around Fukushima grow now? Put them on your salad for a little tingle in the mouth?
1glenn
Nineteen offshore wind turbines a (small) step in the right direction.
19,000 offshore wind turbines would be much more effective.
Jandworld
As is possible with solar how about letting the average citizen own a share of a few months salary in windpower too.
But thats maybe too much European thinking and not so compatible with local politics.
Antiquesaving
If and that is a big if, any birds die by these, then add in well over a hundred if not this that are killed by the cute house cat people let out.
awomde
RIP poor birdies
ArtistAtLarge
Excellent news.
bob
unreliable and an ecological disaster when they are buried in landfills after a few years.
Nuclear is the cleanest and most reliable way to go.
Also very safe. For all the hand-wringing over Fukushima, no one died.
Goodlucktoyou
Why only 19? How many full decaying tanks at Fukushima Daiichi NPP, and how many Japanese warships and personnel defending Saudi oil exports?
Bjorn Tomention
Destroy the planet mining the resources needed to make electric powered this and that, then what do they do with the remaining trash left behind.
They do not mind the child labour being exploited to mine the rare earth or is that hidden from view ?
Lets all go back to Horse n Carts ..................................
Antiquesaving
Where to begin, battery storage is a future environmental problem, the chemicals, rare earth minerals and the impact extracting them and refining them is horrendous.
Both wind and solar need those rare earth minerals again but solar far more and both need some form of storage for night time energy supply.
As for Net-zero doesn't exist never has and wouldn't for some time.
Just like zero emission cars do not exist, other than in the imaginary minds of some. The car it's self of the home may not give off emissions but the electrical supplier probably does, the energy used to extract the needed materials does, etc..
Lower emissions, Yes, low environmental impact, Yes Net-zero, zero emissions, No.
Going with massive battery storage will create major environmental problems in the longer term.
More practical are piston compression systems and the simplest gravity towers, (concept is so simple it is surprising it took this long.
Using day time excess energy from solar, wind, etc a weight is raise to the top of a turbine tower, at night the weight drops create energy from the turning turbine. These could be installed in tall buildings in shafts right next to elevator shafts on new constructions, older buildings could lose one set of elevators and in the shaft a gravity turbine installed.
noriahojanen
I wouldn't oppose to diversifying energy resources. But be reminded that the project is on feed-in tariff (FIT), though which Tokyo Gas would earn at expense of public money (means our taxes, etc.). It's also likely that general consumers would have to pay a higher electric bill.
sf2k
So much opportunity when Japan ditches the chains holding it back.
Japan already has pumped water storage and can use that more as that's not a new technology.
Canada's Enwave hydrothermal tubes in Toronto prevented us from needing a gas fired plant right in the downtown and provides air conditioning for the entire downtown instead. I think of Japan with all those coastal cities and salt water retains more energy than fresh water so it would be even more effective.
Australia has Tesla crying all the way to the bank with their battery storage and has made a significant impact. They're now working on Hawaii and will be Tesla's next success.
Spain solar thermal Andasol Solar Power Station uses molten salt storage to generate electricity 7.5 hours after sunset.
It's not just one country. It's not just one technology. Everyone is looking to themselves about what they have around them and what they can do. And they don't need oil and fossil gas.
And to top it off all of these are non lethal and during an earthquake would either be resilient or wouldn't cause a radiation leek that will last 35,000 years
Japan would be a natural for wave technology offshore and would be another fantastic opportunity and doesn't require sunlight.
Until then you'll see fossil gas execs trying to weasel their way into renewables like they tried to with electric cars and hydrogen to try to extend their influence. Truth is they're not needed. Why be held back?
Wind is still limited due to the towers, but If it's solar that ruins them because then no one would need them. Energy is no longer a limited resource held back by committees but suddenly within the capability of thousands of towns and homes.
Net-zero even net-negative homes are present today. Let's make them the norm
Gooch
Ooooh, a new subsidy farm! So, can the Tokyo Gas state whether renewable energy will be used to construct and decommission these turbines, and whether the magnets contained in them will use rare earths sourced from China?
fxgai
Just wondering how those things will go during a big tsunami.
sf2k
So he lied then, fossil gas is not a part of a sustainable society.
Antiquesaving
The biggest problem with both wind and solar is they don't produce well or at all during peak hours at night.
New pressure or gravity power storage is needed to increase power storage of excess energy produced during the day time.
Battery storage is not practical.
Gravity storage work as it sound, the excess power raises a heavy weight which at night is released to slowly rotate down creating power.
Pressure works similarly excess power compresses a piston during the day, then at night the piston is released pushing a turbine creating energy.
Without these excess energy storage systems far to much power is lost making these systems still far less effective.
GdTokyo
We have a ton of shoreline and a lot of wind. Ring the country with them.
kohakuebisu
The news recently was about the offshore windfarm in Fukushima being removed. Was that something to do with it being a floating one and losing money due to maintenance? This new one isn't going to be that far away.
For land, that would sound a lot, but it's only a square in the sea with 2.6 kilometer sides. With 19 turbines, they'll be 500m or so apart.
Antiquesaving
In fact the often false belief wind turbines kill a lot of birds is just that false.
A quick look at rotation speed tells it all not many bird are that slow not to be able to avoid them.
Want to really lower bird kills? Keep pet cats indoors as cats are the number one killer if birds.
Bjorn Tomention
Lubricated using oil and Grease, the life expectancy is short too!
garymalmgren
Here is a link to a Japanese documentary about how far Japan is in the renewable energy game.
This article mentions 19 windturbines sometime in the future.
In the doco the reporter counts over 150 turbines spread across the Germany countryside. As the farmer next to them watches the blades rotate, he says "1 dollar, 2 dollars, 3 dollars"
http://www.nihontogenpatsu.com/english
sakurasuki
So how many percentage of this compared to whole energy usage in Japan by using other energy source?
englisc aspyrgend
Late to the party but better late than never.
They need to go big, not this small scale project, fiddling around is not going to cut the mustard and achieve the carbon neutrality goals.
starpunk
Clean is always better.
Speed
Hope this works well. It's the right direction. Just as long as they're careful not to build them on top of good surf spots.