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You can be concerned about infrastructure changes but bullish on technology improvements in EVs. This article [0] (apolgoies but I'm in the UK so not familiar
by maccard 4y ago
You can be concerned about infrastructure changes but bullish on technology improvements in EVs.
This article [0] (apolgoies but I'm in the UK so not familiar with the state in the US) talks about the energy mix in 2010 (13 years ago, so close). Wind power could support up to 5.4 GW in 2010 in the UK, and by various sources itcan now do ~25GW. (Today is a strange day, there's a cold snap and we've fired up backup coal stations for the first time in years.).
Grid infrastructure, and consumer interaction with supplier has had enormous changes in that time. In the last 12 months, suppliers have started running schemes where they adjust demand by paying you to reduce usage during peak times [1], introducing day ahead tarriffs [2], and rollig out smart meters which provide usage in 30 minute windows. There are power diverters, and various devices available which hook up to live pricing, and can decide what to do at various points in the day, e.g. divert your solar PV into heating your hot water tank rather than selling it back to the grid.
The movement here _is_ slower, but it _is_ happening.
[0] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/875384/Wind_powered_electricity_in_the_UK.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/...
[1] https://octopus.energy/saving-sessions/ https://octopus.energy/saving-sessions/
[2] https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/what-is-a-flexible-tariff/ https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/what-is-a-flex...
[3]
- TheLoafOfBread 4y agoThis all looks great on the paper. And then things like this happen: https://theconversation.com/what-europes-exceptionally-low-winds-mean-for-the-future-energy-grid-170135 https://theconversation.com/what-europes-exceptionally-low-w...
- maccard 4y agoThe reality of reliance on fossil fuels is https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/consumer/price-diesel-hits-%C2%A32-litre-first-time https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/consumer/price-diesel-hit... and 3.5x hikes in natural gas prices for domestic uses in a year. I do'nt really understand the point you're making. From the article you've shared, > Combining wind with other renewable resources such as solar, hydropower and the ability to smartly manage our electricity demand will be critical at times like this summer when the wind is not blowing. Which is pretty much exactly what is happening. We're wind heavy because it makes sense to be here, but if we were closer to the equator it would make sense to be solar heavy, for example.