|
Generating your own power has tremendous advantages, but major technological obstacles. For example, the traditional fossil fuel generator is only 20 to 30% efficient - at best. But if using the generated heat to heat homes, then efficiency increases. Do it using small, highly efficient gas turbines, and the efficiencies increase radically.
Another idea was to transmit electric power using superconductors AND cool those wires by sending hydrogen to the same customer. Customer could use both electrical and hydrogen, or even sell energy back to the utility after burning the hydrogen. Power from or to customer varies with consumerneeds
All good ideas, except that we don't even have the technology to distribute electricity from numerous, small generators. Providing electricity from many smnall providers rather than a main power generator is a massively complex problem. And then there is the technology required to make electricity locally - both being complex control problems.
Honda makes a superb small (portable) generator. That is $500. Serious gnerators for the building are on the order of many $thousands - which is why I don't understand how Costco can sell so much power generation so cheaply. Diversified power is the future. But we are so far away technologically as I never expect to see it in my lifetime.
|