Net Zero: Every Urban Street And Front Drive Will Be Dug Up

[Elderberry]

NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT by By Paul Homewood  7/21/2020

Electrification of heat and transport will create huge challenges in terms of generating capacity. But what is often forgotten is the upgrading of the cables which bring the power into our towns and homes:

London, 16 July: The UK faces a £200 billion bill to rewire the country if the government follows through on plans to electrify the country’s homes and transport systems. That’s because installation of electric car chargers and heat pumps will push up demand for power beyond the capacity of the existing wiring.

The findings are set out in a new report from the Global Warming Policy Foundation, which is published today. According to author Mike Travers, this will mean that most streets in the UK will need to be dug up (with diesel-driven machinery):

“At present new home car chargers and heat pumps are using up all the spare capacity. But we will soon reach the point where the network will not be able to handle the extra demand. So in towns and cities, the underground cables which carry the power will be inadequate. That means that we are going to have to dig up almost every urban street and many rural ones too. The whole distribution grid is going to need to be replaced.”

And the cables that carry power into the homes will need to be dug up too.

According to Travers:

“The power cables taking electricity into your home probably run underneath your front drive. So if you want a car charger and a heat pump you are going to have to pay to dig it up. If you have an expensive monoblocked drive, that will not be cheap. Distribution boards, main fuses and smart meters in homes are going to have to be upgraded too.”

More: https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2020/07/21/net-zero-every-urban-street-and-front-drive-will-be-dug-up/

[roamer_1]

It's a good time to start thinking of a more distributed system.

[Smokin Joe]

It's a good time to start thinking of a more distributed system.

Firewood in a wheelbarrow, coal in a bucket, gasoline in a can...

I wonder how much fossil fuel will have to be burned to make the cables and emplace them, then fix the mess?

[roamer_1]

Firewood in a wheelbarrow, coal in a bucket, gasoline in a can...

That's right... 4 cords of fir up in the shed, 5yds of lump coal in the hopper, Several hundred gallons of diesel and gasoline, and I don't know how much kerosene and white gas.... But some... Never hurts to have another way.

I wonder how much fossil fuel will have to be burned to make the cables and emplace them, then fix the mess?

S'alright... Solar and wind will cover it... No different than meat coming on styrofoam trays... Don't need nary another thought.

[Fishrrman]

Jes' a little "rewiring" required: