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> As a result, for solar to balance out the variability of wind, European countries would have to install ten times the existing capacity. > The authors consid
by icc97 8y ago
> As a result, for solar to balance out the variability of wind, European countries would have to install ten times the existing capacity.
> The authors consider that level of expansion unlikely, which is why most of the analysis is focused on wind.
Is this really so unlikely? The amount of Solar panels in use now seems so pitifully tiny and the cost of installing them is only going downwards as well as their power output going upwards.
I guess the article means that it's unlikely by 2030, but I think a 10x increase in Solar power is more likely than somehow the Balkans and the North Sea countries magically balancing their different power loads.
- alephnil 8y agoOne problem with solar in Europe, especially in Northen and Eastern Europe, where heating in the winter dominate consumption, is that almost all solar potential is in the summer, when less electricity is needed. This is basically a result of the Northern latitude of Europe (Madrid and NY has about the same latitude). For wind it is the opposite. Wind is strongest in the winter when the consumption is highest. This makes wind a much more attractive option in Europe than solar, given that electricity can't be stored easily at grid level.