Faced With A Lack Of Energy Options

[palm]

I'll give you a sample result. I put in a house in California for electricity monthly bill of about 150$ (decent estimate imo) and the "assumed installation cost" came out to be $ 67,500. That's a for a house, not even a small resort.

Yes, I think you are right there - I've done a lot of research into this and had a long meeting with the solar-expert at Leonics in BKK about the feasibility of powering our private resort we are building entirely using solar. We estimate the cost of the solar equipment alone will be around 10 million baht. I don't see prices coming down anytime soon, especially with the huge increase in demand worldwide for panels, and manufacturers scrambling to try and meet that demand.

The cost of solar is WAY beyond the reach of the vast majority of Thai incomes, which is a great shame as its a really nice technology.

[ThaiGoon]

I'll give you a sample result. I put in a house in California for electricity monthly bill of about 150$ (decent estimate imo) and the "assumed installation cost" came out to be $ 67,500. That's a for a house, not even a small resort.

Yes, I think you are right there - I've done a lot of research into this and had a long meeting with the solar-expert at Leonics in BKK about the feasibility of powering our private resort we are building entirely using solar. We estimate the cost of the solar equipment alone will be around 10 million baht. I don't see prices coming down anytime soon, especially with the huge increase in demand worldwide for panels, and manufacturers scrambling to try and meet that demand.

The cost of solar is WAY beyond the reach of the vast majority of Thai incomes, which is a great shame as its a really nice technology.

Cheers Palm. There are quite a number of new solar panel technologies being developped right now. One, at Stanford I think, would use silicon-like paint and we could just use it on a concrete wall or roof. Anyway, until then, I agree that the prices will remain too high for majority of Thais (including me .)

[Jamie]

There are newer technologies out there that don't even use silicon. Some of the "nano-technology" being developed now will allow pvc's to be made from plastics that will be more flexible. They will be able to put these in to roof shingles and siding material. There have been some "break throughs" in pvc efficiency or the ability of them to convery light in to electricity. Who knows when they will actually become available on a large scale though.

[sbk]

Because, ThaiGoon, you do lecture. On and on

Anyway, my point is that as long as EGAT holds a monopolistic attitude towards energy it little behooves them to make alternative energy sources readily available to people (outside their sponsored programs obviously). I wonder what the import tax is on solar panels and technology? Does the Thai govt offer any tax breaks to businesses that would like to go solar? A few projects here and there aren't going to make any kind of appreciable difference in Thailand's energy supplies. I'd like to see them get serious about using alternative energies on a larger scale than they have so far tried.

And if you are interested in the possibilities, check out the National Renewable Energy Laboratories in the US. www.nrel.gov. What they are working on now, could, if seriously pursued by govts, change the way we obtain our energy. That is, if the govts were serious about it instead of threatening to cut the funding of such places.

[ThaiGoon]

I don't know.

[liketobe]

Because, ThaiGoon, you do lecture. On and on : )

Anyway, my point is that as long as EGAT holds a monopolistic attitude towards energy it little behooves them to make alternative energy sources readily available to people (outside their sponsored programs obviously). I wonder what the import tax is on solar panels and technology? Does the Thai govt offer any tax breaks to businesses that would like to go solar?

That is the question to answer before much can be sorted out. I know folks are bringing panels in there check luggage to the Philippines. Also heard that cheeper panels are being made in China-right next door. How much do they nail you to bring it in, simple systums don't require expensive instalation consaltants.

[Travel2003]

In the meantime maybe lower the temperture just a little bit in at least all public buildings?

Comming from the cold north, I have always been amazed how they can have such low tempertures in the malls, public buildings, etc.

All air cons on full blast, and nobody gets sick?

Remember an article in Bangkok Post a few years ago where the gownerment (mis spelling?) was looking into maybe letting public servants who do not sit in a office landscape, take off their jacket while they were in their private offices!

This way they could rise the temperute a little bit, thus save a lot of energy in regards to air con usage.

Anyone remember this article? And what the outcome was?

rgds

Sailor

Edited May 23, 2007 by Travel2003

[TokyoT]

From an article in 'The Christian Science Monitor' not sure how I found this but it is a little bit worrying, could anything come of this??

The world's dirtiest fuel may be the country's best hope to ensure future energy security

By Daniel Ten Kate | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

Full story here csmonitor

Surely this is a joke?? Dose Thailand really need to use COAL to progress???

No joke, and the ball has already started rolling – first new plant in over 20 years opened late last year. Lots of protests from Greenpeace and such during the construction but it still went up and more will follow.

Renewable energy is probably the way of the future – but in the here and now coal is likely to be the way Thailand heads.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/20/bloomberg/sxcoal.php

[Prakanong]

Thank fully the UK has ample coal reserves also. It will become more economically viable as the oil and gas run out.

Wonder how much coal all those Arab nations have??? should make interesting politics when the west loads up the price of coal like they do for oil now??

Pity Thatcher close the mines - all that coal that they can not get at now!

[GuestHouse]

Thailand already does very well on the renewable energy front.

Charcoal/wood for cooking

Sun and wind for drying crops, food, clothing

With a bit more thought put into building design (instead of copying designes from the west) and a bit more thought and planning into public transport, removal of the necessity of having to do all business in person (hence removing the need to drive across town to pay bills etc), Thailand could greatly reduce the non renewable energy it consumes.

Thought...planning..

Maybe not.

[Nikkijah]

What I can't understand is why Thailand doesn't do what many other nations do, encourage local consumers to produce their own electricity and buy it back from them? Many countries allow people on solar or wind to go on the grid, and when they are producing energy, their meter runs backwards, when they are consuming, it goes forward.

Seems to me that making solar & wind energy more readily available and easier (and cheaper) to use could be one way to encourage renewable energy resources.

I thought it did??

I was reading an article last year about a Thai professor - I can't remember his name - had created a completely self sufficient home, at night the roof collected condensation, by day the solar panels collected all the power needed, the waste water was collected, treated then used to water the gardens, but above all, the excess electricity, he said, he could sell back to the Thai government...

I wish I could remember the professors name, it was a very interesting house!

[Nikkijah]

More on the Thai professor...

Thai architect hits on blueprint for sustainable living in the tropics

[TokyoT]

Another interesting link related to Thailand the energy sector – with a green slant:

http://www.palangthai.org/en/home

[Maizefarmer]

Thailand could generate between 70%-80% of of domestic (meaning houshold) energy consumption if it encouraged solar energy as a source (photo voltaic cells - solar panels) i.e. stripped away import duties & taxes and ploughed money into domestic manufacture solar cells.

It doesn't.

MF

[BeastOfBodmin]

Link to cleaner coal

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4468076.stm

That is pure greenwashing. Don't be fooled. At this time, I believe there are exactly zero commercial CCS installations in the world today. There are not very many experimental installations either.

How can you have "clean coal" for goodness' sake?

My first post, and I'm ranting already. On an old post. Sorry.

[PattayaParent]

But the World Bank requires any new coal fired power plants to not only have precipitators but also Flue Gas Desulphurisation Units installed in their construction.

The really 'dirty' part is then the handling of the coal for delivery and disposal of the flyash slurry (to the local concrete plants or to be made into 'cakes' to use for cooking)