May 13th, 2010
Categorized under: Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy From the Deep Ocean US Gov R&D
The $250 million successful USA renewable energy effort dismissed with one paragraph in 1997 and dropped even from the NREL website.
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Comments
in 2018 the USA plans to make a contained sun on earth to give 1 billion years of energy.
aegnt09
May 13th, 2010
Ocean Thermal Energy has not been used for Centuries, only in the last century and then only for demonstration purposes.
TJPlocek
May 13th, 2010
Thanks for this video. Harnessing energy from water is not a new concept. It has been used since centuries. The biggest advantage of wind energy is the generation of electricity. Transformer company, Pacific Crest Transformers manufactures liquid-filled distribution transformers. It offers its products to the wind industry and other verticals too.
pacificcresttrans
May 13th, 2010
Seeing as the pipes are flexible polymer, can they be installed like undersea communication cables?
SeverEnergia
May 13th, 2010
While in principal, OTEC should be able to work in the winter because of the cold air temperature versus the water temperature (or the temperature of the earth), I think the practical difficulty would be that cooling the sea water further would convert it to ice and plug the heat exchangers. It will work where there is warm water such as thermal springs. What is needed is a temperature difference of 20 or more degrees Celsius.
TJPlocek
May 13th, 2010
If OTEC works well in the Arctic, you guys might be able to sell the system to the Canadian government for remote power generation.
SeverEnergia
May 13th, 2010
It depends entirely on what Puerto Rico and PREPA want. We are very flexible. Our primary concern is to generate awareness of OTEC and to help Puerto Rico onto the path of energy and economic independence by making use of the vast deep ocean resource so close to its shores.
TJPlocek
May 13th, 2010
What is your proposal in Puerto Rico, to build one or several OTEC platforms and generate electricity to sell to PREPA or to build OTECs as contractors for PREPA?
myrfuentes
May 13th, 2010
Independence would be far-off the map if it where in our hands. Go OTEC!
guarapomabi
May 13th, 2010
Offshore Infrastructure Associates is a Puerto Rico firm working for several years now to introduce commercial OTEC to Puerto Rico. Check out our web site offinf dot com. Also view other videos posted by tjplocek
TJPlocek
May 13th, 2010
Can you name one or two private firms working on OTEC in PR–if any? Autoridad De Energia Electrica De Puerto Rico is a monopoly running amok. “Plugging” OTEC feeds into PR infrastructure is a frustrating exasperation. PR seems to be leaning toward independence, and legislation aside… independent-attitudes toward PR in the US Congress IS delivering PR what they’re asking for. Slightly imaginable… perhaps PR will purchase Chavez’s oil in five years. OTEC for PR!
ModernGeographic
May 13th, 2010
Costs go up fast and are not under anyone’s control. The nearby Deep Ocean Water will take some years (5 to 10 at least) before OTEC and other technologies can provide substantial benefits. The island has the resource and demand as well as capable people to make it happen. We need more widespread understanding and concerted effort to make it happen.
TJPlocek
May 14th, 2010
Very few people know about OTEC. We are trying to spread knowledge, particularly in Puerto Rico where it can help a lot. But initially it will not reduce electricity costs because the first units will be quite expensive. However, it will prevent costs from increasing and it will provide jobs and economic growth.
TJPlocek
May 14th, 2010
Part 1
You are absolutely right! PRPEA does not have any real plans for renewable energy. Over 90% of the electricity generated in PR comes from oil and coal which are very expensive. The problem lies in PREPA ownership. PREPA belongs to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Therefore its decisions are at the mercy of politicians and political investors. PREPA buy oil from puertorican wholesalers which are political investors and they push for the avoidance of renewable energy.
LuisBoriken
May 14th, 2010
Part 2
As an example PREPA does not want to install negative meters for household producing electricity from solar panels. At this time in PR the only solution is to get off the grid and produce your own electricity! PREPA have been sabotaging a project for eolic energy in Vieques Island and in Lalas, PR. As an example you have Palo Seco Bay in PR a place where PREPA can install at least 30 windmills
LuisBoriken
May 14th, 2010
Part 3
on a shallow useless bay that can produce electric energy from the Trade Wind and they have no said a single word about it. The general attitude of government officials are hurting the puertorican economy because they are permitting the cost of electricity to skyrocket.
LuisBoriken
May 14th, 2010
This are the science projects that makes me wonder. PR, HI, Guam, Samoas and USVI deserve better.
LuisBoriken
May 14th, 2010
OTEC research was very expensive. When OTEC was being funded it took up much of the energy R&D budget shortchanging Nuclear, Coal and other technologies. It is also considered (incorrectly) to affect only around 6 million people in Puerto Rico, Hawaii and smaller US islands. It could supply much baseload to the Gulf Coast States and most importantly: IT WORKS!! But not as easily or cheaply as some proponents claim. Overpromises have hurt OTEC.
TJPlocek
May 14th, 2010
Very informative about ocean-generated electricity. Without high production values and without appearing to be hyped up, explains the background, and then makes the viewer wonder why the government has dropped ocean energy from the renewable sources (perhaps it is the miniscule overall funding for renewable development by the government that causes them to pick only a couple of possible technologies to pursue).
opalcomp
May 14th, 2010