4 ms·

Please explain. Thanks.

• pfdietz 3y ago
  We just need to be able to satisfy demand on the grid at each point in time. This does not require that any particular generator provide steady power. It's only necessary that the total amount of power being put onto the grid by all sources matches demand.
  • tamaharbor 3y ago
    Inevitably, what happens when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine? Heck, people complain to the PUC when their power blinks for a millisecond.
    • pfdietz 3y ago
      When that happens, storage is used to provide the power. We can then ask, how much storage is needed? This is an optimization problem. We need to specify how much solar, wind, batteries, and long term storage (hydrogen) to use so that cost is minimized. The latter is important especially at high latitudes and is often ignored by those trying to argue renewables can't do it. This optimization problem is solved (for the problem of providing "synthetic baseload") at this web site: https://model.energy https://model.energy The web site uses historical weather data combined with various adjustable assumptions about various costs. The optimal solution varies greatly depending on location, and often includes some curtailment of renewable sources. Even so, the costs are not bad, usually considerably less than providing the same power with new construction nuclear.