Reply To: Mind, Spirit, Science connection?

[Brian H]

redsnapper wrote: Yes, I intentionally said “waste” because the term “thermal” had been used previously without adequate specificity. From the primary power generation cycle’s perspective, it’s waste – but certainly if you can do something else useful with the relatively low-grade heat, it’s not entirely waste.

A qualification necessary: “but certainly if you can do something else useful, at less expense than using ultra-cheap FF electric power for the task, with the relatively low-grade heat, it’s not entirely waste.”

If you spend $0.50/W for added “waste heat exploitation” equipment, 10X the capital cost of another FoFu, you’ll be a long time recovering your investment even with “free” heat. And typically getting much work out of diffuse, low-grade energy sources is very pricey. See wind turbines and solar farms for some of the more grotesque demonstrations.