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>Electricity production share of those in Germany: 35%. Consumption share: 38%. In certain areas during peak generation times, sure. But overall, renewables li

>Electricity production share of those in Germany: 35%. Consumption share: 38%. In certain areas during peak generation times, sure. But overall, renewables like wind and solar are simply not viable as a complete replacement to fossil fuels (in Germany at least) until storage of excess capacity has been solved. Until then, Germans will be burning coal or Russian gas all winter long. [0] https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601514/germany-runs-up-against-the-limits-of-renewables/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601514/germany-runs-up-ag...

lispm 8y ago
> In certain areas at peak generation times, sure These numbers are the average share for the whole year 2018 for all of Germany. > But overall these technologies are simply not viable as a complete replacement to fossil fuels That's not a goal. A communicated goal is to increase the share of renewable electricity to around 85% by 2050.
- aphextron 8y ago
  >These numbers are the average share for the whole year 2018 for all of Germany. But the source of energy consumed doesn't matter if greenhouse gas emissions are still rising. This chart tells the whole story [0]. German renewables really started kicking off around 2009, and yet emissions haven't budged since then. They actually ticked up for a few years in the mid 2010s. It's pretty clear that simply installing excess capacity is not the way forward when that infrastructure sits wasted 95% of the time. [0] https://www.cleanenergywire.org/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_image/public/uba_germanghgemissions1990_2017_clew.png?itok=T7nO2KD0 https://www.cleanenergywire.org/sites/default/files/styles/g...
  - lispm 8y ago
    > But the source of energy consumed doesn't matter if greenhouse gas emissions are still rising. Note that your chart shows greenhouse gas emissions not only for electricity production - which was the topic we are discussing here. They are not rising, which can easily be seen from the chart you have linked. The problem is that they were not falling as planned. For 2018 it is projected to be 854. 6% less than 2017. https://www.klimareporter.de/deutschland/co2-emissionen-fallen-wie-seit-jahren-nicht https://www.klimareporter.de/deutschland/co2-emissionen-fall... > They actually ticked up for a few years in the mid 2010s. That was when industry production recovered after the economic crisis. You can see that in the chart: manufacturing/construction in 2009 was at 109, in 2010 it was at 125. The longer trend is year over year changed by the amount of economic activity, climate in that year, amount of new renewable put online, etc etc.

lispm 8y ago

> In certain areas at peak generation times, sure These numbers are the average share for the whole year 2018 for all of Germany. > But overall these technologies are simply not viable as a complete replacement to fossil fuels That's not a goal. A communicated goal is to increase the share of renewable electricity to around 85% by 2050.

aphextron 8y ago
>These numbers are the average share for the whole year 2018 for all of Germany. But the source of energy consumed doesn't matter if greenhouse gas emissions are still rising. This chart tells the whole story [0]. German renewables really started kicking off around 2009, and yet emissions haven't budged since then. They actually ticked up for a few years in the mid 2010s. It's pretty clear that simply installing excess capacity is not the way forward when that infrastructure sits wasted 95% of the time. [0] https://www.cleanenergywire.org/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_image/public/uba_germanghgemissions1990_2017_clew.png?itok=T7nO2KD0 https://www.cleanenergywire.org/sites/default/files/styles/g...
- lispm 8y ago
  > But the source of energy consumed doesn't matter if greenhouse gas emissions are still rising. Note that your chart shows greenhouse gas emissions not only for electricity production - which was the topic we are discussing here. They are not rising, which can easily be seen from the chart you have linked. The problem is that they were not falling as planned. For 2018 it is projected to be 854. 6% less than 2017. https://www.klimareporter.de/deutschland/co2-emissionen-fallen-wie-seit-jahren-nicht https://www.klimareporter.de/deutschland/co2-emissionen-fall... > They actually ticked up for a few years in the mid 2010s. That was when industry production recovered after the economic crisis. You can see that in the chart: manufacturing/construction in 2009 was at 109, in 2010 it was at 125. The longer trend is year over year changed by the amount of economic activity, climate in that year, amount of new renewable put online, etc etc.