Jed sez: > OrionWorks wrote: > > >But then, I wonder if it might still be better than the reported 60% > >loss through transmission lines just to get the electricity from the > >average power plant to my wall socket. > > It is nowhere near as large as that. In 1990 PG&E estimated 8% losses > for 500 miles. Other estimates for T&D (transmission and > distribution) are around 5%. See: > > http://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/NRELenergyover.pdf >
Interesting. In my own defense I believe the 60% (approx) loss was from data you originally discovered through various government agencies - that you posted in this discussion group. Unfortunately for me I don't have the specifics postings or links at my fingertips to back up my memory on this point other than to say that the subject thread generated a certain amount of discussion for a while. I distinctly recall you correcting me at one point saying that transmission loss were due to heat loss within the transmission lines. Apparently I had used inaccurate terminology in describing the loss of electricity. (I might have used the term "friction." Whatever... I suspect those old discussion threads could be located within the vortex archives for those ambitious enough to pursue the matter, though I'm not personally inclined to do so. There was a fascinating graphic from Lawrance Livermore National Laboratory (published in 2001) that you pointed us to titled "U.S. Energy Flow Trends - 2000, Net Primary Resource Consumption 98.5 Quads." I downloaded the chart. It shows an interesting and complex layout depicting where we get all our energy from (natural and AE) and also where all that generated energy eventually ends up going into within the U.S. The graphic clearly shows "Rejected energy (Electrical system energy losses)" at 57.8 Quads" and "Useful energy" at 34.3 Quads. Adding the useful and rejected numbers actually comes to 92.1 Quads. Dividing 57.8 / 92.1 comes to around a 63 percent loss in electrical energy. At least that's how I interpret the figures. Mileage may vary from customer to customer. Regards, Steven Vincent Johnson www.OrionWorks.com
