Tidal.

[Mull]

Why is tidal energy not the complete focus of renewables, it's completely predictable unlike wind and water, it's like we look and spend on the cheaper unpredictable options first😳, but I suppose wind and hydro give the big landowners a few quid of the free money first! Establishment?

[Stumpy Grinder]

I'm sure much of it, as with everything these days is due to cost.

Waves and storms are also very unpredictable and can damage tidal systems. Blocked estuaries are effective but are very bad for migratory fish.

Generation of electricity is also limited to a relatively short period twice a day.

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon. Blocking them could subsequently send the moon out of kilter with the earth. Lunatics (lunar) rely on this timing to know when to go bonkers! Werewolves also. Menstruating women also rely on a 28 day cycle which I believe is directly related to the moon and to lunacy? Let's not mess with the moon!

Burn wood, coal, gas, frack, nuclear or anything other than mess with 28 day cycles which are already the bain of our lives!!??

SG:001_rolleyes:

[Mull]

I'm sure much of it, as with everything these days is due to cost.

 

Waves and storms are also very unpredictable and can damage tidal systems. Blocked estuaries are effective but are very bad for migratory fish.

 

Generation of electricity is also limited to a relatively short period twice a day.

 

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon. Blocking them could subsequently send the moon out of kilter with the earth. Lunatics (lunar) rely on this timing to know when to go bonkers! Werewolves also. Menstruating women also rely on a 28 day cycle which I believe is directly related to the moon and to lunacy? Let's not mess with the moon!

 

Burn wood, coal, gas, frack, nuclear or anything other than mess with 28 day cycles which are already the bain of our lives!!??

 

SG:001_rolleyes:

 

 

Maybe your twice a day should be four times a day.! Twice out twice in !

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited September 28, 2016 by David Humphries
Watch the language please

[richy_B]

There are systems that work on the movement of waves rather than tidal flow as well. Imagine a 'snake' consisting of lots of individual units connected by springs/cabling. As the waves move the snake the cables and springs extend and contract which can be transfered to electric. Like a kids toy with a drawstring essentially. I have no idea how effective/expensive they are but seems like a great concept.

[richy_B]

I'm no expert and know as much as the next guy but my view is there should be more focus on individual or community energy projects rather than these huge plants. I appreciate its easily said and there will be issues but when I looked at a small wind turbine a little unit that you could attach to your chimney would produce 300 watts an hour at peak. Even running at 6 hours a day on average the would produce enough to run a whole house of low energy bulbs, charge your phones and tablets, couple hours of telly, etc. You still needs main power but if every household in the UK as pulling 18kwh a day less it would seriously add up.

 

Not necessarily the same but I find it crazy there are still houses out there without proper insulation or double glazing.

[Woodworks]

Is it not down the difficult/expensive of them having to live in seawater? The marine environment is pretty unforgiving.

[gooseflight]

Generation is not limited to to the top and/or bottom of the tide. Apart from the switch to ebb and flow the tide is running most of the time. Some tidal systems generate for around 20 hours per day.

 

As above, main problems are cost, corrosion and environmental impact.

 

(The Rance Barrage in France has been running since 1966.)

[Haironyourchest]

I helped a guy drop his 6KW turbine one time to fix the brushes then pull it back up agin with a big tirfor. It was fracking huge! At peak, produced three times as much energy as he could use, so he'd dump the excess into heating a 10,000 lt water tank.

[matelot]

There is a company that plan to develop tidal power lagoons in the UK. The advantage of the lagoons is that it is easier to get the power when there is demand for it.

 

I agree that tidal is the way to go for renewables. We have solar panels on the office and the power from them is unreliable. One day it's 4Kw of power then the next day it's nothing

 

Newport - Tidal Lagoon

[Vespasian]

The not so obvious answer is salt..

 

It does tend to ruin things, even very expensive electrical components..