3 ms·
Right, you only roll out storage as fast as you have overcapacity to charge it from. The amount of storage build-out that justifies, thus far, is easy to accom
by ncmncm 4y ago
Right, you only roll out storage as fast as you have overcapacity to charge it from.
The amount of storage build-out that justifies, thus far, is easy to accommodate with batteries. Later, as renewables shoulder more of the load, the storage needs to get bigger and you start looking for economies of scale.
Ultimately, instead of paying to build out long-term storage, most places will rely on imports of synthesized liquid fuel to burn in peaker plants, from places that produce excess reliably, e.g. tropics, for solar, and reliably windy places. It is always windy somewhere. That synthetic liquid fuel is most likely ammonia.
And, while waiting for those to come online and undercut NG, you just continue peaking with NG.
Today people are breaking ground for factories to build ammonia synthesis equipment, which will take remarkably long to finish and start producing. Then those need to build enough synthesis equipment to absorb hundreds and thousands of excess GW. And we will have ships to transport it in, tanks to keep it in.
All that is a huge job, but it will be done. The stuff that handles an equal amount of petroleum and NG was built and is used, and will wind down and be scrapped.
- ncmncm 4y agoProvided, of course, civilization doesn't collapse first. If build-out matches predictions, collapse is an easy call. But build-out has been consistently beating predictions.