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I would like to have seen more elaboration on transmission losses in the power grid. For example, if we imagine solar cells in Sahara generating energy for Euro
by mongol 6y ago
I would like to have seen more elaboration on transmission losses in the power grid. For example, if we imagine solar cells in Sahara generating energy for Europe, is power grid transmission feasible or does hydrogen look better in comparison?
- sacred_numbers 6y agoThe problem with generating power in the Sahara for use in Europe has little to do with transmission losses and much more to do with the capital cost of building high capacity power lines over thousands of kilometers. There's also the cost of protecting those lines, since they would have to pass through several different countries that are not always politically stable.
- deltron3030 6y agoIt could be an incentive for political stability in those regions if they benefit from it.
- mongol 6y agoGood point. But that could also ve an argument for hydrogen?
- Gibbon1 6y agoI linked a paper talking about that. Losses are likely on the order of 5% per 1000km. I would think long distance transmission lines could transmit power both east and west which solves some of the time shifting issues. And south to north which solves some of the issue with low irradiance during the winter at high latitudes. AKA Germany would probably be better off investing solar farms in southern Spain and connecting via long distance transmission lines. Only 1600km or so. Also consider sunset is an hour later in south west Spain.
- peroporque 6y agoThat's what DeserTec planned to do some time ago. Power line transmission would be possible, but political situations were too unstable, so the project for canceled.