🚀 go-pugleaf

George Slade <George_Slade@mindlink.bc.ca> wrote:

George these posts are getting too long winded to
be of general interest and I ask you use a bit of
patience and shorten it up.  I promise to still
get all the pertinent tidal power information
posted the public needs, but stretch it out over a
longer period of time.  

Is consulting work that slow you can stay logged
in for these periods?  :)

I'm being inundated with E-mail inquiries over
these posts and I'm having trouble keeping up to
you.

snip

>You seem to have lost the question.  How do you deal
>with inconsistant tides.  What exactly is inttegrated
>pumped storage?  How does it work? Do you include it
>in your cost estimates? 

No I did not lose the question, but it is apparent
the full complexities of load management eludes
you.  An integrated pump storage uses surplus
off-peak power which would otherwise be wasted
because you have use it, as it is generated, by
pumping water to a holding pond at a high
elevation.

At a peak demand or slack or both, you'd quickly
draw down your holding pond driving your idle
generators.  Some additional water piping yes and
a few percent more on the capital cost side.  

But as I said in the earlier post most of these
grids are in fact energy deficient, and can deal
with peaks with existing plant if a broader base
load can be relied on.  None would be needed 
here in BC

George I think your thrust here is beyond your
technical capacity and the level of detail is not
that appropriate in this forum.  

You are obviously unaware of the level of scrutiny
that would be brought to bear on a development
like this by agencies like the National Research
Council, Energy Mines and Resources, and the US
Army Corps of Engineers etc.

After 14 months of exchanging papers, faxes,
drawings, and answering questions unimaginable, on
my second trip to Buzzards Bay (Cape Cod Canal)
the Colonel stands up in front of his battery of
hydro experts and says "Mr. Burger we've concluded
your idea is interesting but it won't work, you've
got ten minutes to state your case".

What???

I just sold my car to fly 3000 miles for this??

Three and half hours later with the Congressman
impatiently pacing and the VIP helicopters revving
in the parking, I got to watch a fiery Colonel
dress down his subordinates in classic  West Point
style.  

He apologized for his staff's, conservative
approach, and assured me the planning directorate
was now fully authorized to proceed with the
demonstration in the Cape Cod Canal.  

We were back in business:)

>You also brought up that we are energy deficient in B,C.
>then why are we worried about the failure of the Columbia
>River deal.  If we need more power should we not be all 
>to happy to get access to the power we were previously 
>selling state side?

The failure of the Columbia revert back as it is
known has got more to do a misplaced provincial
pride and some anxiety with a revenue pressed
government losing a bloated cash cow.  

Wiser council I've discussed this with agree that
the price was dirt, and if the whole sale power
was used to found a broader economic base,
ultimately BC would much farther ahead in the
midterm and certainly in the long term 

Why not sell it to Labour intensive industry at
the same whole sale price as you were prepared to
give it away to Northern California and let them
develop forward looking manufacturing to employ an
underemployed work force.

It's a no brainer from where I sit.  But then I'm
not a consultant.:)
 
>You want at least 5 knots of tidal current.  Well on the 
>south coast that leaves you with, Active Pass (up to 9
>knots) Polier Pass (up to 7 knots) Gabriola Pass (up to
>7 knots) Lots of passes around Desolation Sound.  To the
>best of my knowledge there is no place on the B.C. coast 
>where you get a 5 knot or better tide and you will not
>affect some form of boating activity.  Also remember 
>on the charts the tides indicated are MAXIMUM EBB or FLOOD
>not average or normal.  IE they will be the speed of the 
>water when the tide is moving from a maximum low to a maximum
>high or the other.  Since this only happens about 10 days a 
>year, you seem to have a bigger problem.  

>I have been boating for over 25 years and I don't know of
>any place on the B.C. Coast where you will find a flow
>better than 5 knots that lasts for more than a few hours a day.

>Exactly where are you going to place these things?
>George Slade

While from a hydrological & marine biology
perspective there are many fine tidal power sites
including some of the one's you've mentioned, and
a good number of others as well.  As I said
earlier, the Davis Hydro Turbine is not tidal
range dependent but that's not to say that we
cannot take full advantage of the range that does
exist and many slower inlets when phased by a
tidal fence have enhanced hydrology potential.  

I strongly believe final tidal power fence
locations should be the result of a fully informed
public process.  My complaint with much of the
status quo you seem strangely committed to, that
it's just not happening.  

When an informed public has the full benefit of
the facts for comparison purposes, appropriate
choices are generally straight forward common
sense.   

I also believe that when the full facts are known,
tidal power will often be that appropriate choice.

In spite of your thoughts to the contrary George,
it's time to use tidal power now!

Martin Burger
Managing Director
Nova Energy Ltd.