One obvious issue with solar is that it only generates power during the daytime, and that is not when most domestic power use occurs. Obviously industry is working in the middle of the day (if not also at night) but households often use most of their power in the evening, after work, and to heat the house at night.
In New Zealand, where I am, I think this is less of an issue because 57-60% of our power is hydroelectric. The hydro lakes are essentially enormous batteries, releasing electricity as required. Every GW of power generated by solar (or wind, or other conditions-dependent) power is a GW not released from the hydro lakes. More diversified generation makes the whole system more robust, protecting the grid from low lake levels, which we have experienced at times in the past. Comradely, John On Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 11:36 AM Charlie via groups.io <charles1848= sbcglobal....@groups.io> wrote: > The Martin Bush article talks about current costs per kWh. It cites > technology options that may lower solar and wind costs. It does not address > how much solar and wind output of electricity can be expanded. Their output > can be expanded, of course – but that adds additional costs which the > article does not mention. > > For example, we are told to look to "strategies that reduce the > variability of solar and wind systems without using batteries for storage. > Interconnecting electricity transmission systems that can handle greater > levels of power provides security when the supply of renewable energy from > geographically dispersed regions is shared with areas that are experiencing > a shortfall." Sure, with extra construction cost. > > How much acreage would solar occupy to provide, say, half of projected > demand? Ditto for wind farms? > > > > -- "All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks." Sarah Moore Grimke, abolitionist (1792-1873) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#35228): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/35228 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/111104123/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: marxmail+ow...@groups.io Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [arch...@mail-archive.com] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
