4 ms·

There's this little thing called the sun, and it doesn't shine a big chunk of the day. Right about when you need the most energy for heating and lighting.

kube-system 4y ago
Electricity usage generally peaks during daylight hours, and other sources of generation can be throttled to account for solar's lack of generation at night.
- tomohawk 4y ago
  Other sources being natural gas plants? Great plan.
  - kube-system 4y ago
    Yes, it does make more sense to use natural gas between 6-10pm than it does it use it 24/7, like we do now. And/or use hydro, which can also be throttled. https://www.eia.gov/electricity/gridmonitor/expanded-view/electric_overview/US48/US48/GenerationByEnergySource-4 https://www.eia.gov/electricity/gridmonitor/expanded-view/el...
  - ncmncm 4y ago
    Until renewables are fully built out, storage is useless. So we burn natural gas at night for a while. When there is enough generating capacity to supply demand and charge storage at the same time, then we install the storage and charge it. Storage will be radically cheaper at that time than now. In the meantime, every spare dollar should go to building out renewables. At some point spending on mined gas declines naturally because it is the most expensive energy.
ChrisClark 4y ago
But why do you want us to move to 100% solar and nothing else? No power system in the world depends on only one type of power. You're just making things up to prove your conclusion.
TheCoelacanth 4y ago
In most of the US, electricity usage in afternoons in July is 50-100% higher than during the middle of the night in January[1]. Your intuition about when the most electricity is used is dead wrong. [1] https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=42915 https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=42915
- rootusrootus 4y ago
  Does this hold true when controlled for heat source? If we are pushing to be off fossil fuels, it'd be worth knowing how much we will need in order to convert all existing methane/propane/oil furnaces over to heat pumps, and what that looks like during cold winter nights.
8note 4y ago
The sun definitely shines all day. If it stopped shining at night, you wouldn't see a full moon
- missedthecue 4y ago
  I don't think that's relevant to his point

kube-system 4y ago

Electricity usage generally peaks during daylight hours, and other sources of generation can be throttled to account for solar's lack of generation at night.

tomohawk 4y ago
Other sources being natural gas plants? Great plan.
- kube-system 4y ago
  Yes, it does make more sense to use natural gas between 6-10pm than it does it use it 24/7, like we do now. And/or use hydro, which can also be throttled. https://www.eia.gov/electricity/gridmonitor/expanded-view/electric_overview/US48/US48/GenerationByEnergySource-4 https://www.eia.gov/electricity/gridmonitor/expanded-view/el...
- ncmncm 4y ago
  Until renewables are fully built out, storage is useless. So we burn natural gas at night for a while. When there is enough generating capacity to supply demand and charge storage at the same time, then we install the storage and charge it. Storage will be radically cheaper at that time than now. In the meantime, every spare dollar should go to building out renewables. At some point spending on mined gas declines naturally because it is the most expensive energy.

ChrisClark 4y ago

But why do you want us to move to 100% solar and nothing else? No power system in the world depends on only one type of power. You're just making things up to prove your conclusion.

TheCoelacanth 4y ago

In most of the US, electricity usage in afternoons in July is 50-100% higher than during the middle of the night in January[1]. Your intuition about when the most electricity is used is dead wrong. [1] https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=42915 https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=42915

rootusrootus 4y ago
Does this hold true when controlled for heat source? If we are pushing to be off fossil fuels, it'd be worth knowing how much we will need in order to convert all existing methane/propane/oil furnaces over to heat pumps, and what that looks like during cold winter nights.

8note 4y ago

The sun definitely shines all day. If it stopped shining at night, you wouldn't see a full moon

missedthecue 4y ago
I don't think that's relevant to his point