I know that running the meter backwards is not technically correct. I think perhaps 10 years or more ago it was occurring to a small extent and was largely ignored. I think it may depend on the extent to which you are still a large net user as…

Franz Josef seems to be the main mainland contender for being…

I think the answer is to close Huntly, not Tiwai

According to the government's latest figures, closing Huntly would pretty much deal with our Kyoto liability.

Unfortunately they'll have no financial incentive to dothat (or switch it to gas) until 2010.

Right. First of all

Brent: There is solar hot water heating, and solar electricity generation, two different things. So yes, if you have solar hot water heating, you can't put electricity into the grid. But you can have BOTH on the one house (or…

If you're grid connected you can feed it back in (see above), or you can store it in batteries (expensive, require maintenance and replacement) or even as heat in the…

Do people with solar panels on their roof now – what do they do with any surplus electricity during the day? I can't imagine all of them put it back into the grid, do they sink it into batteries, or does it just get lost?

They other don't generate more…

And of course, the further south you go, the less sunlight you get, due to the shorter days and the aspect effects (which is why the poles are colder than the tropics).

While the south does have shorter days in winter, this is no barrier to solar hot water. You…

How many Aucklanders have aircon? Even the apartment blocks and (most) hotels I've been in don't.

I have done a small amount of power modeling in a few different countries, and peak demand side growth has almost almost always been driven by the increase in summer due to air con…

I don't think I'm with you on solar power being the answer(suppose I will have to buy North and South to read the whole article – cunning marketing ploy). While the power is 'free' you still have to pay off the capital and maintenance – last time I worked…

the issue for us in Auckland will not be heating in the winter but cooling in the summer

How many Aucklanders have aircon? Even the apartment blocks and (most) hotels I've been in don't.

Or do you mean that with global warming, it'll become essential. Harden up. Or move to…

Home Solar hot water heating makes a lot more sense than solar electricity generation in the first instance. But if there's leftover, put it into the grid.

I'm no expert, but afaik home solar hot water heating does not produce electricity. It heats water (either directly or, more…

Are there any requirements to install solar water heating when building new houses?

The answer is no. http://www.buildingguide.co.nz/

EECA has an interest free loan that has been in place for over a year to encourage people to install and a total of 0 people (that's zero, nada, none) have…

Direct use of solar thermal has possibilites, but is reliant on good design and getting the kit installed at the right time.

Are there any requirements to install solar water heating when building new houses? That would seem to make a great deal of sense, as that's when it is…

Jeez. I feel like I'm lining up with Damian for six of the best and I wasn't even at school that day.

See? QED.

:-)

I think the answer is to close Huntly, not Tiwai. Genesis should have a business…

Damien, I don't think I'm with you on solar power being the answer...While the power is 'free' you still have to pay off the capital and maintenance – last time I worked the numbers it was about five times the retail price of power.

The people I interviewed worked out…

I was making a funny

No shit.
I remember Russell once comparing his own "earnest" sto Slack's "clever".
Sorry to say I err on the earnest. Would like to be "clever" but marbles were in short supply round about '66.

Jeez. I feel like I'm lining up with Damian for…

Ahah. I just found a short biographical note on the author and the perspective makes more sense.

Just to add to the biographical knowledge on David Round. He was the National Party candidate for Chch East at the last election and he was also seeking the nomination for the Selwyn…

1. They import bauxite (basically aluminium oxide) from Queensland.
2. They add cheap (by global standards) renewable electricity to separate off the Oxygen, leaving Aluminium.
3. They export the refined product.
4. They charge a premium due to the…

Apparently [[http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/opdev/modelling/gpas/May2007/Generation|the Electricity Commission has considered the demise…

If you can't win, be malicious while you're losing I say. Fuck 'em.

I agree. At the least, commit all the money to social programmes, and dare the fuckers to cancel them. They do it, they're a one-term government. They don't, and they don't get to deliver on their promises.…

And why is it Michael Cullen keeps saying we have no money for this, no money for that (and by that I mean 'tax cuts'), we've got to tighten our belts and so on, then he forks out 2/3 of a billion dollars for some trains?

Because in a budgetry…

And I'd probably say the same thing, which is why folks should be profoundly thankful the chances of either of us getting our hands on a ministerial warrant are non-existent.

I think we should share one Craig. We could split the week – you'd do right wing stuff monday to…

I was making a funny

No shit.

I remember Russell once comparing his own "earnest" sto Slack's "clever".

Sorry to say I err on the earnest. Would like to be "clever" but marbles were in short supply round about '66.

We also need to have a long term plan to…

seems to me that hydro and wind are a great mix – we'll just shut the hydro off and let the lakes fill when the wind blows right?

Check out the North & South piece for other ideas along the same vein. Personally I think the answers are…

Politically, however, the cost of shutting down Southland's largest single employer would be pretty…

Rich: My fault, I'm mixing points, but I wasn't so much thinking about the climate change aspect of shutting Tiwai Pt, more our current issues with electricity. But…

(See also: is more immigration an environmental negative? Depends where they come from).

Negative, if they settle in McMansions in Whitby or Clevedon and drive Explorers/Range Rovers to work. Positive, if they live in city apartments and don't drive a car.

If you can't win, be malicious while you're losing I say. Fuck 'em.

And I'd probably say the same thing, which is why folks should be profoundly thankful the chances of either of us getting our hands on a ministerial warrant are non-existent.

As it is, if the smelter shut, then presumably a new or upgraded smelter somewhere else would take up the load.…

Sunday Star-Times, March 23:

"Next up is the rail system, which Cullen is negotiating to buy back into government ownership. When asked by the Sunday Star-Times where National stands on the issue, Key repeatedly said he didn't believe the sale would go…

I guess it's fair enough that Key might not have thought that in these tough times the Government would actually be acquiring new assets. But it'll teach Key not to make open ended promises in future.

I think just before the election, which Labour still looks like losing, the government…

relevant in this day and age of instant teleportation.

By this logic we should abandon any kind of tax payer investment in roads. All it is doing is tying us to the tyranny of 19th century engineering.

How big a personal tax cut do you expect for $600million, by the…

I guess it's fair enough that Key might not have thought that in these tough times the Government would actually be acquiring new assets. But it'll teach Key not to make open ended promises in future.

If he couldn't predict this one, he should sack his advisers, or himself. He…