Solar panels - are FIT payments worth it? Generation FIT vs. export FIT

[The Natural Philosopher]

Given the level of stupidity I reckon they have been doing it already for years.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well not really.

Not after a while.

to create unstable nuclei you do indeed have to acquire neutrons, but most of what is created is fairly unstable and therefore short-lived.

That's why in general they simply seal up a reactor after the fuel rods have been removed and wait about 60 years. Then its pretty much 'background radiation'.

That's the thing about radioactivity: the more intense and the more dangerous it is, the quicker it decays.

Most of it is so stable its hardly a risk, or so unstable it isn't a risk for long.

The very few things in between tend to be transuranics and those are only created in the fuel itself.

You have a worse radiation hazard from coal ash tips than a 60 year old reactor.

[T i m]

Thanks for the feedback.

Taken over the whole 60 years?

Don't get me wrong, I'm pro Nukes and especially until we actually have something that can replace them (if we ever needed to etc).

Cheers, T i m

[The Natural Philosopher]

After the 60 years.

The basic point is this. The reactor vessel abosrbs the neutrons, and gets a bit 'hot', and the concrete outside keeps everything inside. After 60 years what you have left is a concrete bunker full of scrap metal, and that's that. No special equipment needed. Just bulldozers.

The nastier stuff has all gone to Sellafield - spent fuel rods and high atomic number detritus.

That has to be dealt with differently.

[T i m]

Ok.

We went round the visitor centre when on one of our motorcycle / camping holidays. Very interesting. ;-)

So I understand. Nice if we could find something useful to do with it. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Huge]

So what? They're still dead.

[T i m]

Really?

Yes, but one is possibly some stupid installer falling off a roof because he/she was taking liberties (and it's a 'risk' that comes with their business) versus some innocent passer-by killed by a flying solar panel, wind turbine blade or a radioactive leak.

'Most people' when discussing such stats would really only consider the people outside the main action. Just as they might when a joyrider kills themselves and a queue at a bus stop. Ok, the media / authorities wouldn't say on TV that the joyrider 'had it coming to him/her' but ...

HTH, Cheers, T i m ;-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well most of it makes decent nuclear fuel.

And some of it can be burnt up in breeder reactors as well.

Its just cheaper to store it right now. Uranium is dirt cheap.