3 ms·
> That is not the case for the UK, the country being discussed, with peak electrical demand in winter. Wind also peaks in winter, while nuclear fails to rise t
by ZeroGravitas 2y ago
> That is not the case for the UK, the country being discussed, with peak electrical demand in winter.
Wind also peaks in winter, while nuclear fails to rise to the occasion so maybe we should force nuclear to invest in seasonal storage so that we get a really fair comparison?
- chickenbig 2y agoWind also peaks in peaks, leading to gluts. Summarising something so irregular in a single number misses out essential properties. The peak/trough pattern is so good for heating without plenty of thermal storage (not something the UK’s buildings are renowned for). > maybe we should force nuclear to invest in seasonal storage Probably simpler to build a bit more nuclear, then use it in summer to drive DACCS (heat and electricity) or processes like raw material smelting. Better to have industry operating on fairly predictable schedules (summer on, winter off) than pre-empting them on a regular basis (as startup/shutdown could reduce useful work done/harm equipment).
- ZeroGravitas 2y agoOverbuilding is a good strategy, cheaper to do it with wind and solar though. This has sometimes been referred to with the cheesy catchphrase of "SWB Superpower": https://www.rethinkx.com/energy/in-depth/super-power https://www.rethinkx.com/energy/in-depth/super-power