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There is no such things as "100% renewable". The only countries that can do that already have and is because they have a lot of hydro-power or other controllabl

There is no such things as "100% renewable". The only countries that can do that already have and is because they have a lot of hydro-power or other controllable way of producing energy without emitting CO2 (Iceland, Finland...). If you don't have way to produce in a stable matter, NOW (not in 20 years when we might have the tech to store a crazy amount of electricity across the months) your electricity you have to import it or burn what you have in your country. France choose to import uranium. Or we go 100% renewable, but we need to start discussing about a society where electricity is not 24/7 available for a major part of the population.

bjourne 5y ago
Finland doesn't have a lot of hydro power. Most of its power comes from imports, nuclear and thermal power. Your claim that 100% renewable cannot guarantee electricity 24/7 to everyone is contradicted by countless reports.
- edhelas 5y ago
  I'd be curious to see those reports :)
  - bjourne 5y ago
    "Despite some debate, most experts agreed that 100 percent renewable energy was feasible. Is it economically or politically feasible - that's a very different question." https://www.sciencealert.com/these-climate-experts-say-100-renewable-energy-is-completely-feasible-for-entire-countries https://www.sciencealert.com/these-climate-experts-say-100-r... Also see the links posted by bryanlarsen.
    - edhelas 5y ago
      > "The Earth receives 23000 TW of solar energy, while the global energy consumption is 16 TW. Therefore, [100 percent renewable energy] could be possible even if we capture only 0.07 percent of the solar energy" says Professor Xiao Yu Wu, an energy expert from MIT. Sure, doesn't solve the night issue. Having energy is something, having a stable production from a very diffuse and non stable one (day/night) is something else. > Iceland power near 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy, using their abundant geothermal and hydro supplies. Renewable energy can also dominate electricity needs for more populous countries too. So geothermal and hydro. > About 80 percent of Brazil's electricity needs for its 209million people come from renewable sources, biomass and hydro mostly. On average, however, renewables power ~29 percent of electricity around the world. So can renewables reach 100 percent for populous countries? So biomass and hydro. > He argues that *there is a heavy reliance on hydro and biomass sources* - while most countries don't have access to these, so would be reliant on sources like solar, wind, and storage. In those circumstances, it's highly unlikely for renewables to power 100 percent of the electricity supply he says. Well thanks, the article itself is making the point I want to make.
      - bjourne 5y ago
        The article claims that "most experts agreed that 100 percent renewable energy was feasible", yet you decide to quote one of the contrarian experts. Why? In either case, I have satisfied your curiosity; the article links to a number of reports claiming that 100% renewable electricity is possible.
      - pfdietz 5y ago
        The Earth actually received 100,000 TW of solar energy. The 23,000 must be that fraction that hits land?
- trenchgun 5y ago
  We do have quite a bunch of hydro, actually. Electricity consumed by source 2020: Nuclear 28% Electricity by combined heat & power production from central heating & industry and other thermal 25% (about 50% split bioenergy vs fossils) Hydro 19% Import 18% Wind 10% Altogether electricity production is 52% from renewables. Source: https://www.stat.fi/til/salatuo/2020/salatuo_2020_2021-11-02_tie_001_en.html https://www.stat.fi/til/salatuo/2020/salatuo_2020_2021-11-02... And: https://www.motiva.fi/ratkaisut/energiankaytto_suomessa/sahkon_hankinta_ja_kulutus https://www.motiva.fi/ratkaisut/energiankaytto_suomessa/sahk...

bjourne 5y ago

Finland doesn't have a lot of hydro power. Most of its power comes from imports, nuclear and thermal power. Your claim that 100% renewable cannot guarantee electricity 24/7 to everyone is contradicted by countless reports.

edhelas 5y ago
I'd be curious to see those reports :)
- bjourne 5y ago
  "Despite some debate, most experts agreed that 100 percent renewable energy was feasible. Is it economically or politically feasible - that's a very different question." https://www.sciencealert.com/these-climate-experts-say-100-renewable-energy-is-completely-feasible-for-entire-countries https://www.sciencealert.com/these-climate-experts-say-100-r... Also see the links posted by bryanlarsen.
  - edhelas 5y ago
    > "The Earth receives 23000 TW of solar energy, while the global energy consumption is 16 TW. Therefore, [100 percent renewable energy] could be possible even if we capture only 0.07 percent of the solar energy" says Professor Xiao Yu Wu, an energy expert from MIT. Sure, doesn't solve the night issue. Having energy is something, having a stable production from a very diffuse and non stable one (day/night) is something else. > Iceland power near 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy, using their abundant geothermal and hydro supplies. Renewable energy can also dominate electricity needs for more populous countries too. So geothermal and hydro. > About 80 percent of Brazil's electricity needs for its 209million people come from renewable sources, biomass and hydro mostly. On average, however, renewables power ~29 percent of electricity around the world. So can renewables reach 100 percent for populous countries? So biomass and hydro. > He argues that *there is a heavy reliance on hydro and biomass sources* - while most countries don't have access to these, so would be reliant on sources like solar, wind, and storage. In those circumstances, it's highly unlikely for renewables to power 100 percent of the electricity supply he says. Well thanks, the article itself is making the point I want to make.
    - bjourne 5y ago
      The article claims that "most experts agreed that 100 percent renewable energy was feasible", yet you decide to quote one of the contrarian experts. Why? In either case, I have satisfied your curiosity; the article links to a number of reports claiming that 100% renewable electricity is possible.
    - pfdietz 5y ago
      The Earth actually received 100,000 TW of solar energy. The 23,000 must be that fraction that hits land?
trenchgun 5y ago
We do have quite a bunch of hydro, actually. Electricity consumed by source 2020: Nuclear 28% Electricity by combined heat & power production from central heating & industry and other thermal 25% (about 50% split bioenergy vs fossils) Hydro 19% Import 18% Wind 10% Altogether electricity production is 52% from renewables. Source: https://www.stat.fi/til/salatuo/2020/salatuo_2020_2021-11-02_tie_001_en.html https://www.stat.fi/til/salatuo/2020/salatuo_2020_2021-11-02... And: https://www.motiva.fi/ratkaisut/energiankaytto_suomessa/sahkon_hankinta_ja_kulutus https://www.motiva.fi/ratkaisut/energiankaytto_suomessa/sahk...