7 ms·

I wonder how would the results vary if for every MW of renewables there was 100kWh of storage (using flywheels, lipo, thermal rock, gravity, etc...). I really b

• sokoloff 4y ago
  That’s only 6 minutes of peak load worth of storage (assuming it’s rated on output kWh, perhaps only 5 minutes otherwise). If you have three different types of renewables, all equally sized, and uncorrelated, it’s 18/15 minutes against a single type of renewable being offline. That doesn’t seem like enough for a 100% renewables grid to be 3 9’s reliable.
  • fulafel 4y ago
    Demand can be regulated to meet supply using various ways (eg pricing, quotas, etc).
    • fallingknife 4y ago
      Pricing is a poor tool as the signal doesn't propagate quickly enough. Quotas just means blackouts, and that isn't ever going to fly politically.
      • fulafel 4y ago
        Disagreed on both: Demonstrably pricing already technically works in many hourly priced markets in face of difficult conditions - the swings are not that fast and the time quantum can technically be made much smaller still, there is no fundamental signal propagation speed bottleneck in sight. Quotas yield cutoffs only if you exceed your quota, so you would still get power constantly for light loads unless you err by blowing your quota. This is far better than getting blackouts.
      • pydry 4y ago
        Pricing doesnt propogate fast enough only if you assume that we cant predict the weather. It's already working in the UK - power company sends a message saying between 2am-4am power will be free.