4 ms·
> obsolete resource RWE (the big bad evil company who wants to cut down Hambach) would like to shut down a few old and unprofitable coal burning plants. They
by 08-15 8y ago
> obsolete resource
RWE (the big bad evil company who wants to cut down Hambach) would like to shut down a few old and unprofitable coal burning plants. They are forbidden from doing so, because these plants "are essential to the grid". Doesn't sound obsolete to me.
- CydeWeys 8y agoSounds like it's time for Germany to invest some money into energy storage solutions rather than relying on coal-burning plants to take up the slack when solar and wind are slacking. This applies equally so to most nations, of course.
- oh_sigh 8y agoSolar wind and hydro only provide 25% of Germany's energy needs.
- CydeWeys 8y agoThat figure is out of date -- looks like it was 33% last year and climbing. Source: https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-energy-consumption-and-power-mix-charts https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-energy-c... All told coal accounted for 37% last year. So if the trends continue (and it seems like they will), then renewables will eclipse coal by around the end of this year. Build more solar and wind and add more energy storage to get you through the lagging periods and no more coal capacity will need to be added to the grid, nor new coal mines dug.
- yjftsjthsd-h 8y agoIt's still not currently obsolete, then. More like, "hopefully obsolete soon".
- CydeWeys 8y agoDeprecated then?
- 08-15 8y agoI'm tempted to argue that storage makes renewables more expensive, but that argument would rest on the assumption that it was even possible to buy storage capacity at a scale of multiple terawatt-hours.