this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2023
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[โ€“] matthewtoad43@climatejustice.social 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

@MattMastodon @BrianSmith950 @Ardubal @Pampa @AlexisFR @Wirrvogel @Sodis Well, California has done a lot of the work for you. Have a look at their charts, including multiple GW of battery storage.

Also the study I posted about Australia. There was another one but I lost it on the other place. You can get *most* of the way with a few *hours* storage, not weeks.

[โ€“] matthewtoad43@climatejustice.social 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

@MattMastodon @BrianSmith950 @Ardubal @Pampa @AlexisFR @Wirrvogel @Sodis What that means is if you're going the long term storage / hydrogen or iron-air batteries route, the inefficiency doesn't matter (but the capital cost does).

On the other hand if you try to reach 100% with minimal demand side interventions even in emergencies, you end up building way more (~3x) renewables than you ideally need. Which has a cost - rare earths etc.

But there are plenty of options for managing intermittency. All of them have problems or costs though. Which is one reason I'm not strongly opposed to nuclear, for instance, but nor am I terribly enthusiastic about its ability to deliver quickly enough.

[โ€“] matthewtoad43@climatejustice.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

@MattMastodon @BrianSmith950 @Ardubal @Pampa @AlexisFR @Wirrvogel @Sodis Also, which country is that? Look at e.g. today's UK chart - wind was dominant until 6:30PM. Sadly this service does not include batteries because there's no data on *charging* them.

https://grid.iamkate.com/

[โ€“] MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

@matthewtoad43 @BrianSmith950 @Ardubal @Pampa @AlexisFR @Wirrvogel @Sodis

You got there too quick for me to add this

Here in Europe (yes the UK is still in Europe, brexiteers can't change geography)

Here in Europe we can help each other out and sice we have such varied #energy systems, Norway with it's #hydro France #nuclear the UK can easily pick up a few % or lend a few % when needed.

[โ€“] matthewtoad43@climatejustice.social 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

@MattMastodon @BrianSmith950 @Ardubal @Pampa @AlexisFR @Wirrvogel @Sodis Yup, lots of interconnectors being built/planned in theory, but they seem to take ages. We need more in any case.

[โ€“] matthewtoad43@climatejustice.social 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

@MattMastodon @BrianSmith950 @Ardubal @Pampa @AlexisFR @Wirrvogel @Sodis Africa too - see the Xlinks project: 10GW Saharan solar + battery + 3.6GW interconnector -> UK baseload equivalent to a nuclear power station.

Although that is now dependent on a 20GWh lithium battery, which somewhat stretches credulity. Not to mention the usual questions around appropriation of land and water etc.

https://xlinks.co/morocco-uk-power-project/

[โ€“] SuperMoosie@mastodon.au 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

@matthewtoad43 @MattMastodon @BrianSmith950 @Ardubal @Pampa @AlexisFR @Wirrvogel @Sodis

Might be this one. (Haven't found him directly on Mastodon yet)
Shows how we can get by in Australia with just 5 hours storage. Uses real time data.
https://bird.makeup/users/davidosmond8/statuses/1686581904823484416