3 ms·
Maybe not fundamental, but something similar to that, yes. I think that when coupled with economics (i.e., basically, price) there's nothing that can surpass ca
by paganel 3y ago
Maybe not fundamental, but something similar to that, yes. I think that when coupled with economics (i.e., basically, price) there's nothing that can surpass carbon-based energy.
Carbon-based energy is basically condensed and stored solar power, i.e. some of the cheapest things there can be, taking into consideration that the "condensed and stored" part happens by default, the only money that we spend is in trying to get to those condensed and stored" resources and to transport them (oil wells, digging coal-mines etc)
- rsynnott 3y agoI mean, even if that were the case, if batteries were free, electric cars would handily outdo internal combustion cars; car engines are _really_ inefficient compared to large gas turbines (absolute best case under 40%, realistically closer to 20%). > the only money that we spend is in trying to get to those condensed and stored" resources and to transport them (oil wells, digging coal-mines etc) That's a huge "the only"; we're already seeing solar beat gas on pricing in some cases.
- paganel 3y agoThat's the thing, I don't think that batteries will ever be free, or close to free. > we're already seeing solar beat gas on pricing in some cases. That's why I also added the condensed/storage part, which with carbon comes by default (or at low enough prices). Forests (including geological ones on which current carbon-energy is mostly based) are (were) world-wide solar farms which come with no costs, a human-made thing will never be able to compete with that, price-wise.