3 ms·

Just because the raw amount of wind energy available is enough to cover the entire needs of the continent in aggregate doesn’t mean it’s going to magically solv

Just because the raw amount of wind energy available is enough to cover the entire needs of the continent in aggregate doesn’t mean it’s going to magically solve the fact that wind isn’t always available. Energy storage sucks and can’t scale using current tech, where the state-of-the-art is pumping water up a hill. Oh, and you’re going to need that storage because wind is strongest at night which happens to be when demand is lowest. Simply spamming wind towers and hoping for the best is incredibly naive. It’s a critical part of the solution but it’s not the entire solution.

thehappypm 4y ago
It kinda is the whole solution though. If you’re generating power cheaply intermittently, companies will buy cheap night power, store it, and sell it at peak for a profit. It doesn’t need some magical government body, it’s literally easy business to buy low/sell high and there’s a ton of storage tech out there, ranging from cheap batteries, exotic batteries, pumped hydro, flywheels..
- toomuchtodo 4y ago
  And storage sometimes isn’t even needed. Just overprovision renewables and throw away excess generation you can’t store physically or economically (curtailment). The sun throws off enough energy every two minutes to power humanity for a year, we’re not running out of fusion at a distance.
  - frosted-flakes 4y ago
    Or use that excess power for energy-intensive processes that aren't economical to do at normal rates, such as producing hydrogen or jet fuel. (Or perhaps desalination, with massive fresh water storage tanks?)
laputan_machine 4y ago
If the UK built enough wind turbines, it could power itself using nothing but wind energy, without any storage. The wind doesn't go to 0, ever. You would need a _lot_ of turbines, but that is a solved problem. We have the space and the resources. Obviously this won't be the solution, nor would any reasonable person want it to be (because there are better solutions available), but I am quite tired of hearing 'but wind is not always available'. It's a true but pointless argument to make (because of the above point). To clarify -- if you massively overprovision for peak demand, then in times where wind is low there would still be enough energy generated even in peak demand. We could then even sell the extra energy for times when wind is high to neighbouring countries.
arethuza 4y ago
"at night which happens to be when demand is lowest" I suspect the growth in the number of electric vehicles might change that.

thehappypm 4y ago

It kinda is the whole solution though. If you’re generating power cheaply intermittently, companies will buy cheap night power, store it, and sell it at peak for a profit. It doesn’t need some magical government body, it’s literally easy business to buy low/sell high and there’s a ton of storage tech out there, ranging from cheap batteries, exotic batteries, pumped hydro, flywheels..

toomuchtodo 4y ago
And storage sometimes isn’t even needed. Just overprovision renewables and throw away excess generation you can’t store physically or economically (curtailment). The sun throws off enough energy every two minutes to power humanity for a year, we’re not running out of fusion at a distance.
- frosted-flakes 4y ago
  Or use that excess power for energy-intensive processes that aren't economical to do at normal rates, such as producing hydrogen or jet fuel. (Or perhaps desalination, with massive fresh water storage tanks?)

laputan_machine 4y ago

If the UK built enough wind turbines, it could power itself using nothing but wind energy, without any storage. The wind doesn't go to 0, ever. You would need a _lot_ of turbines, but that is a solved problem. We have the space and the resources. Obviously this won't be the solution, nor would any reasonable person want it to be (because there are better solutions available), but I am quite tired of hearing 'but wind is not always available'. It's a true but pointless argument to make (because of the above point). To clarify -- if you massively overprovision for peak demand, then in times where wind is low there would still be enough energy generated even in peak demand. We could then even sell the extra energy for times when wind is high to neighbouring countries.

arethuza 4y ago

"at night which happens to be when demand is lowest" I suspect the growth in the number of electric vehicles might change that.