Electrical Energy Costs - some dos and don'ts

[hobbyguy]

I was looking at European electricity prices to get a perspective on our costs here. Thank you WAC Bennett! German household electricity cost are about $.45/kwh - and we complain about our bills! Worse yet, German electricity for households is forecast to rise to .4 euro/kwh - about $.60/khw - by 2020. Yikes!

Conversely, Sweden has managed to keep their costs down, and this is sort of odd given their "socialist" label, by keeping bureaucracy out of the electricity market. Their approach has now been adopted by Norway, and is being floated as the way for Germany to get out their electricity mess.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/high-costs-and-errors-of-german-transition-to-renewable-energy-a-920288.html

Our own politicians should keep an eye on this, and be willing to look at what Sweden has managed to achieve, which is a transition toward a green and renewable energy future without unaffordable cost burdens.

The lessons are clear, do it wrong and you get worse off, do it right and you are better off - and yes, it can be done.

That said, even in Sweden, electricity is is about $.31/kwh. And gasoline is about $3.08/liter (a little cheaper than Germany).
For reference, Australian households are paying about $.26/khw.

I have to wonder how long we will continue have the low rates we currently enjoy, as "world" prices seem to creep their way toward us every day. At those prices, LED bulbs etc. look pretty cheap.

[twobits]

I was looking at European electricity prices to get a perspective on our costs here. Thank you WAC Bennett! German household electricity cost are about $.45/kwh - and we complain about our bills! Worse yet, German electricity for households is forecast to rise to .4 euro/kwh - about $.60/khw - by 2020. Yikes!

Conversely, Sweden has managed to keep their costs down, and this is sort of odd given their "socialist" label, by keeping bureaucracy out of the electricity market. Their approach has now been adopted by Norway, and is being floated as the way for Germany to get out their electricity mess.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/high-costs-and-errors-of-german-transition-to-renewable-energy-a-920288.html

Our own politicians should keep an eye on this, and be willing to look at what Sweden has managed to achieve, which is a transition toward a green and renewable energy future without unaffordable cost burdens.

The lessons are clear, do it wrong and you get worse off, do it right and you are better off - and yes, it can be done.

That said, even in Sweden, electricity is is about $.31/kwh. And gasoline is about $3.08/liter (a little cheaper than Germany).
For reference, Australian households are paying about $.26/khw.

I have to wonder how long we will continue have the low rates we currently enjoy, as "world" prices seem to creep their way toward us every day. At those prices, LED bulbs etc. look pretty cheap.

An excellent article on green energy run a muck and those in society that are most affected by the rush to change...the lowest income earners. Germany is a classic example it seems of "too quick to judgment and solution". Sweden's model is far more sound as far as being a market driven transition that is not artificially driven thru subsidization. Locally we appear to be following Germany's now failed model with our run of river experiments rather than a mandate to the energy producer of targets to reach and do it thru the open market with innovative and cost competitive competition. Guaranteeing rates does nothing to inspire innovation except in the creativity in raising capital for guaranteed ROI investments.

[hobbyguy]

We are in agreement, for a change, on the debacle that is our handling of run-of-river projects.

Reasonably sustainable energy, which rules out fossil fuels, requires careful thought by governments. Eventually we all have to get there.

I'm guessing that what happened in Germany is that with their coalition governments, the policy wound up having the quality of most "decision by committee" policies, only worse because the "committee" couldn't agree either.