Ross_audio

joined 1 year ago
[–] Ross_audio 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I know everything I need to know about heat pumps.

I live in a flat. I am literally not allowed to install anything outside for a proper split.

There is no location in my small property where noise would not disturb sleep or the general enjoyment of being here. So even with permission an air source pump is not viable.

I'd need permission to install a ground source unit outside which wouldn't be impossible.

But then it's likely to be got the whole building as that would be the most efficient.

I'm not sharing an energy bill for heating with my neighbours. My consumption is low.

There are millions like me in this country.

What I would install is an electric boiler. Essentially inductive or resistive heat.

Which is half as efficient as a heat pump. But I'd have control of my bill and with the consumption for a single person flat the long term expense of installing and maintaining a heat pump eat into any efficiency savings they have.

The only thing stopping me is gas is cheaper per kW because we're burning gas to make electricity at a ~45% efficiency compared to a 90% efficiency of piping it here to be turned directly into heat.

Cut fossil fuels out of the electricity supply. Then I'll install an electric boiler. Until then I'll burn gas more efficiently here.

Heat pumps work for those with outside space. Those who have luxuries.

Electric cars work for those with driveways. More outside space. More luxury.

I could buy into that luxury soon enough. I will upgrade my property at some point. But it's not going to solve any climate change issues unless they solve the issue for everyone, not just the middle class and upwards.

The government need to stop burning gas for electricity. When they do I'll probably be paying more for energy, but the poorest can use the same infrastructure and be subsidised.

Renewables, grid storage, reasonably priced charging with on street chargers near everyone's homes. We'll all be able to go carbon free.

Heat pumps are part of the solution, but really they're the smallest part. They only offer an efficiency saving over resistive heating. The cost is noise pollution, maintenance cost, space, and complexity.

I don't take the government's climate targets seriously when heat pumps are their main policy.

[–] Ross_audio 24 points 1 month ago (15 children)

Except they were basically beyond design life.

And every new plant comes decades late and 4x the original budget.

 

Apparently even the number UPS customer service has is dead and they can only email.

I've had a parcel go missing there and it's also where "lost" items with missing labels go.

Anyone know what happens if I turn up and try to look for my parcel.

It's not something I need for Christmas, so I'm not that mad. I'm just nervous it won't turn up at all as it's a rare item.

Not always worth much but the time to track another down would be huge. When one comes up prices vary wildly and I think I paid below what it was worth.

I've gone from very happy to not very happy.

Anyone had something go missing through UPS and show up later?

[–] Ross_audio 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It's Valve so I'm calling it now. There will be a Steam Deck 2. It wil be awesome.

There will be no Steam Deck 3. The market will take over and Valve will lose interest after the innovation is finished.

[–] Ross_audio 7 points 1 month ago

The water system is a business. The labs are businesses. A competent business shuttering when the market shrinks to avoid making a loss is an effect of Brexit.

The fact our water infrastructure is run as a business is an effect of Thatcher selling it.

We need to vote for a government to reverse Brexit eventually. But we're also still waiting 35 years to reverse the privatisation of the 80s.

The problem with voting for destructive Conservative governments is it costs a lot of money to replace the things they've given away or destroyed.

[–] Ross_audio 12 points 1 month ago

Honestly this isn't hard.

Businesses plan more than a year in advance.

These labs carried on as long as they could make a profit without significant maintenance cycle costs.

Then they look at their market and whether the next cycle is worth the investment.

If we were in the EU they'd be looking into claiming that large market in 2026, instead they're shuttering the business before it starts making a loss.

They're looking at 5, 10, and 25 year profitability. You're looking at a 1 year plan.

This is why politicians and their billionaire donors are so easily able to trick you into voting like an idiot. You choose not to think.

[–] Ross_audio 15 points 1 month ago

Chelsea being funded by a Russian billionaire is no different.

Take his titles away too.

[–] Ross_audio 2 points 1 month ago

People still want more than 12 thousand a year.

So anyone you like, but the price for keeping someone turning up to any menial working environments raises a lot.

Plumbing is already a skilled trade, there will be no shortage of plumbers. They will work for the money. Of course you might find they'll walk more easily if treated with disrespect. Honestly that'll happen with a good plumber now.

The same will happen to all jobs. You can't yell at anyone anymore or you'll be refused service.

If no one had to be there the worst customers who ruin service work suddenly have to behave like decent human beings all the time. Or they don't get the privilege of being a customer.

[–] Ross_audio 10 points 2 months ago

It might have lost the party the election

But the rich party donors don't actually mind their party losing as long as they also control the second party well enough to avoid regulations, taxes, or any modicum of responsibility towards society.

FPTP isn't about which party wins, it's about reducing the power of the electorate far enough that change only happens with the content of the rich.

[–] Ross_audio 13 points 2 months ago

Sure and cops can't lie about being a cop.

Definitely real rules.

[–] Ross_audio 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Due to a quirk of unifying 2 standards, Europe and the UK, the range is 216.2 volts to 253.0 volts.

That encompasses infrastructure built to a tighter tolerance around 220V in Europe and infrastructure built to a tighter tolerance around 240V in the UK (and Australia).

We expect 3150W out of a kettle most of the time. Our heaters will say 3kW.

Usually you'll find a few volts over 240 out of our outlets and that's to design spec.

[–] Ross_audio 53 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

And Hollywood profits aren't from movies, honestly you've fallen for basic accounting tricks..

A franchise that doesn't make money devalues the retail space. McDonald's model links rents to sales so they take maximum value at all times.

Royalty fee: 4% of gross revenues

Brand marketing and promotion fee: 4% of gross revenues

Location rent: Unlike most other franchises, McDonald’s owns the land and buildings at its locations and franchisees pay rent that can be based on a percentage of sales or as a fixed amount. Percentage rents are 31.75% of sales. Fixed rents are typically £100,000 to £225,000 per month.

So Corporately it looks like they make their money from rent. But that rent is directly linked to sales and labour in most cases.

Without sales they don't get rent unless they've agreed a fixed rent and that's increasingly rare. Usually only the highest value sites.

The real estate value of the property is linked to business revenue as well. If a franchise fails and doesn't get another investor then the empty building is worth a lot less.

By picking McDonald's you're actually about as wrong as possible. Everything of value is linked back to labour, even the value of the land.

It might work differently in other countries but I doubt it. Economics work the same everywhere and McDonalds didn't like to standardise when they find a winning model for themselves.

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