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Storage is not needed. You can consume solar power as it's generated, and it is as useful then as if it came from oil, gas or coal. When the sun goes down, you
by Kon5ole 1y ago
Storage is not needed. You can consume solar power as it's generated, and it is as useful then as if it came from oil, gas or coal.
When the sun goes down, you have saved tons of oil, gas and goal that didn't have to burn during the day. Which is very very good. You don't have to "solve nighttime" before solar makes sense, it makes sense immediately.
Edit: And of course, nighttime is also being solved, in many ways, already.
- asdefghyk 1y agoUnless blackouts or brownouts are going to be allowed to increase in frequency from very rare at present, sources of immediate dispatchable electricity are needed. Large scale hydro plants, battery storage, are expensive to have sitting around. Coal can take several hours to ramp up generation , Gas can be much faster, a few hours from a cold start. Nighttime is predictable. I'm specifically include bad weather in solar / wind generation which can mean zero output. Can be for days. Storage needs to be reserved for these events.