3 ms·
> I'm not sure any analysis is worthwhile unless it includes the time-of-day, as well as the number of hours that the batteries can load-shift power. 5:00pm to
by Jedd 8y ago
> I'm not sure any analysis is worthwhile unless it includes the time-of-day, as well as the number of hours that the batteries can load-shift power. 5:00pm to 8:00pm power is going to cost more in the future than 12:00pm power, simply due to this whole solar energy thing going on.
A big part of the problem talking about these things is that people conflate photo-voltaic with solar thermal (CSP).
What you're talking about when you say 'solar' is just the first one.
Solar thermal plants provide power into the night.
Arguments that it's just solar + storage are perhaps valid, but a) it's still solar, and b) nuclear MSR's aren't called 'nuclear + storage' (ditto anything else using latent heat in fluids, flywheels, etc).
- dragontamer 8y agoIt does seem that Solar Thermal plants are better for the expected future of energy demand. I wasn't thinking of them for some reason. But yes, people need to be mostly aware about the time-cost of energy. Even if Solar Thermal is less efficient than photo-voltaic cells, the fact of the matter is that 5:00pm to 9:00pm power is the REAL problem that people need to focus on. That's when America uses most of its electricity right now, and is likely the main driver of peaker plants at the moment.
- cinquemb 8y agoPeople ignore CSP all the time. I estimate that by 2050, when most of the grid electrical capacity is coming from MS storage with operating delta_K's around 1000+, they'll learn.