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It is the way forward if you want a reliable grid. Solar and wind are intermittent, and the storage technology we would need to make them the primary source of
by Georgelemental 4y ago
It is the way forward if you want a reliable grid. Solar and wind are intermittent, and the storage technology we would need to make them the primary source of power just doesn't exist yet.
- _Microft 4y agoWhat happens if a nuclear power plant in your area has to be shut down for maintenance?
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y agoEver heard of wires? You can send electricity over them.
- _Microft 4y agoThese are nuclear wires, right? Because apparantely this does not work for solar and wind as I understand?
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y agoYes.
- gweinberg 4y agoMost of the time when it's night where you are, it's also night 100 miles away.
- HPsquared 4y agoThere's usually more than one plant, and each plant usually has more than one unit (so they go on a sort of rota), and the maintenance is planned months in advance.
- Ekaros 4y agoThe nuclear have capacity factor of 90%+ meaning that on average they produce power 90% or more of all the hours in year, including maintenance. Just build multiple reactors and stagger the maintenance windows so they do not substantially overlap or match the peak demand periods on yearly scale. And "plant" can consist out of multiple independent reactors.
- NovaDudely 4y agoNuclear power output is incredibly stable but that can be an issue in itself. Produces energy when we don't need it. The solution will probably be nuclear for base, renewable for excess and storage to balance the difference. But talk is cheap, lets actually do it.
- jayparth 4y agoWhat do you know about this topic? How much can nuclear ramp up and down to follow demand?
- op00to 4y agoThere are a few ways to control nuclear power plant output. You can send the steam someplace else and the generator turns slower. You can also moderate the nuclear reaction using control rods.
- akvadrako 4y agoNuclear can ramp up and down very quickly. The only issue is that fuel costs are negligible, so ramping down does not save money.
- vfclists 4y ago> Produces energy when we don't need it. Channel the excess into carbon removal. What's there to loose?
- Ekaros 4y agoOr hydrogen and synthetic fuels... It is not like we do not have options where to spend energy if it was reasonably available.
- Gud 4y agoAbundant energy doesn’t really sound like a problem to me
- colordrops 4y agoI don't understand why it's an either/or situation with nuclear vs solar and wind. Why can't they both be used?
- Georgelemental 4y agoYou could, and in some cases it makes sense. But relying on nuclear alone is simpler and often more cost-effective.