Tim Streater wrote:
In article ,
The Other Mike wrote:

On Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:01:51 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

By the way predictability is irrelevant. We knwo the sun always goes
down at sunset and isn't there much in winter. That's predictable. It
doesn't mean that solar power is any the more useful as a result. We
still have to burn the coal in winter and at night to cover its
deficiencies.

By predictable renewables I was referring to tidal barrages.

I'm still waiting to hear where all these barrages are going to be, how
much each will cost and what will be its *average* output.


about three times the price and 1000 times the size and environmental
impact of an equivalent nuclear installation.

Further, Winky-pedia has this to say: "While some generation is
possible for most of the tidal cycle, in practice turbines lose
efficiency at lower operating rates. Since the power available from a
flow is proportional to the cube of the flow speed, the times during
which high power generation is possible are brief."

I wouldn't rely on solar, even in midsummer, or wind on a windy day.
If the tides stop then we have more serious concerns than keeping the
lights on.

That'll happen in a couple of billyun years when the oceans evaporate.


Nah..when the moon finally falls into los angeles.