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You are confusing installed capacity with power used. The consumed power is going down since the early 2000s, but since the generated power by most renewables

You are confusing installed capacity with power used. The consumed power is going down since the early 2000s, but since the generated power by most renewables depends on the weather and season, more reserve capacity needs to be installed. https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-energy-consumption-and-power-mix-charts https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-energy-c...

asdefghyk 3y ago
The reserve capacity , would need to be 100% - to be able to supply the country for at least several days if/when renables are not able to produce , most likely due to weather.
- ben_w 3y ago
  The capacity doesn't have to be constantly burning fuel 365 days a year in order to solve weather issues, just for however long the combination of startup/shutdown time and adverse weather duration. Adverse weather conditions can be predicted sufficiently well in advance that this matters.
- woodruffw 3y ago
  My understanding is that Germany has interlinkings with other EU members with substantially different climates and power mixtures, so this isn't true.
  - hutzlibu 3y ago
    Yes, there is such a thing as the european energy grid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronous_grid_of_Continental_Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronous_grid_of_Continenta... And yes, they know of the concept of getting electricity from south to north or vice versa - and there are already High Voltage Direct Current transmission lines in place and more on the way (much more efficient, to transport electricity long distances).
    - toomuchtodo 3y ago
      Portugal is within a stones throw of 100% renewables due to its pumped hydro storage and Spain interconnector. Extrapolate through Europe accordingly. Don’t stop building renewables, transmission, and storage.
- sveme 3y ago
  The contribution of renewables has never dropped below 30% over a full day in Germany in the last year. Good thing is that wind and PV are often complementary. https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/energiemonitor-strompreis-gaspreis-erneuerbare-energien-ausbau https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/energiemonitor-strompreis-gas...
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- skrause 3y ago
  That's why Germany is building a lot of new gas power plants. They're cheap to build and can be turned of and off really quickly, so it's okay if they're only really needed for a few weeks a year. The new power plants are also planned to be able to handle hydrogen which can be produced with electrolysis (during an oversupply of renewables) and then stored underground.
  - orangepurple 3y ago
    From where are they obtaining gas for these plants?
    - skrause 3y ago
      https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/30706.jpeg https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/30706.jpeg Currently about half of the gas in Germany comes through pipelines from Norway, the other half is mostly from the the Netherlands and Belgium (which I think import a lot of LNG to ship to Germany).
      - namaria 3y ago
        > Netherlands and Belgium (which I think import a lot of ___ to ship to Germany). Ah yes, NL's raison d'etre
    - TheHiddenSun 3y ago
      LNG is mostly imported from Qatar and Russia Russia - is now (thanks to Germany) one of the top exporters of LNG. With some creative accounting (rewriting labels) of where the oil/gas/lng came from (Russia) -> even India is now a Net exporter of oil. Please note that LNG is even more environmentally damaging than burning coal. LNG: Schmutziges Flüssiggas | Doku | NDR | 45 Min https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Vsee3WYqE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Vsee3WYqE
      - ponector 3y ago
        How so? How many toxins and heave metals are emitted by burning LNG?

asdefghyk 3y ago

The reserve capacity , would need to be 100% - to be able to supply the country for at least several days if/when renables are not able to produce , most likely due to weather.

ben_w 3y ago
The capacity doesn't have to be constantly burning fuel 365 days a year in order to solve weather issues, just for however long the combination of startup/shutdown time and adverse weather duration. Adverse weather conditions can be predicted sufficiently well in advance that this matters.
woodruffw 3y ago
My understanding is that Germany has interlinkings with other EU members with substantially different climates and power mixtures, so this isn't true.
- hutzlibu 3y ago
  Yes, there is such a thing as the european energy grid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronous_grid_of_Continental_Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronous_grid_of_Continenta... And yes, they know of the concept of getting electricity from south to north or vice versa - and there are already High Voltage Direct Current transmission lines in place and more on the way (much more efficient, to transport electricity long distances).
  - toomuchtodo 3y ago
    Portugal is within a stones throw of 100% renewables due to its pumped hydro storage and Spain interconnector. Extrapolate through Europe accordingly. Don’t stop building renewables, transmission, and storage.
sveme 3y ago
The contribution of renewables has never dropped below 30% over a full day in Germany in the last year. Good thing is that wind and PV are often complementary. https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/energiemonitor-strompreis-gaspreis-erneuerbare-energien-ausbau https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/energiemonitor-strompreis-gas...
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
skrause 3y ago
That's why Germany is building a lot of new gas power plants. They're cheap to build and can be turned of and off really quickly, so it's okay if they're only really needed for a few weeks a year. The new power plants are also planned to be able to handle hydrogen which can be produced with electrolysis (during an oversupply of renewables) and then stored underground.
- orangepurple 3y ago
  From where are they obtaining gas for these plants?
  - skrause 3y ago
    https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/30706.jpeg https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/30706.jpeg Currently about half of the gas in Germany comes through pipelines from Norway, the other half is mostly from the the Netherlands and Belgium (which I think import a lot of LNG to ship to Germany).
    - namaria 3y ago
      > Netherlands and Belgium (which I think import a lot of ___ to ship to Germany). Ah yes, NL's raison d'etre
  - TheHiddenSun 3y ago
    LNG is mostly imported from Qatar and Russia Russia - is now (thanks to Germany) one of the top exporters of LNG. With some creative accounting (rewriting labels) of where the oil/gas/lng came from (Russia) -> even India is now a Net exporter of oil. Please note that LNG is even more environmentally damaging than burning coal. LNG: Schmutziges Flüssiggas | Doku | NDR | 45 Min https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Vsee3WYqE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Vsee3WYqE
    - ponector 3y ago
      How so? How many toxins and heave metals are emitted by burning LNG?