Comments on: Anatomy of Inefficiency http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/anatomy-of-inefficiency/2007/01/31/ An independent perspective on the Australian and global investment markets Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:27:32 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Ken http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/anatomy-of-inefficiency/2007/01/31/comment-page-1/#comment-1417 Ken Wed, 31 Jan 2007 22:10:40 +0000 http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/anatomy-of-inefficiency/2007/01/31/#comment-1417 I think it's important to clarify: 1. More than 50% of the *total energy* used to produce electricity is wasted. 2. Most of that is not electrical losses. Actually, most of it is due to the fact that most electricity is generated from heat, and a heat engine necessarily has less than a 100% efficiency. The most efficient *legal/safe* nuclear plant in the US is about 38% efficient. No current turbine-driven power plant is more than 60% efficient at generating electricity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_cycle#Efficiency_of_CCGT_plants I think it's important to clarify:

1. More than 50% of the *total energy* used to produce electricity is wasted.
2. Most of that is not electrical losses.

Actually, most of it is due to the fact that most electricity is generated from heat, and a heat engine necessarily has less than a 100% efficiency. The most efficient *legal/safe* nuclear plant in the US is about 38% efficient. No current turbine-driven power plant is more than 60% efficient at generating electricity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_cycle#Efficiency_of_CCGT_plants

]]>