Solar and wind generation in the contiguous 48 states decreases when people need more energy according to the EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute), using data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) website (https://lnkd.in/g8iTcx5S). The following chart shows the generation of the four major green power sources vs the hourly demand data in the last week. It reveals that solar and wind produce more energy when people need less, and less energy when people need more. Hydro, on the other hand, grows with the demand, delivering when needed, and nuclear always delivers regardless of the demand. This has different implications. 👉 One implication is that solar and wind capture lower valued demand, while hydro and nuclear can capture value during those hours with higher demand when the energy is more valuable and better paid. 👉 Another implication is that solar and wind are not producing when the country requires more energy at peak hours, or during extreme weather conditions. This strong negative correlation makes intermittent clean options a poor choice for any grid unless they are backed up by fossil fuels. This illustrates how reliable green sources such as hydro, nuclear or geothermal are always a better option as they can deliver when needed without requiring a parallel fossil fuel backup generation fleet required by intermittent, uncontrollable sources.
Brian M.
7mo
Fossil fuels are not your only source of "backup" (you also have nuclear, hydro, storage, etc) and you can solve a lot of this by having a robust grid that can move power from where it is generated to where it is needed, or storage sollutions and industrial capacity for power usage. Variable demand loading vs variable supply. If solar peak generation is at 2pm but peak usage is at 6pm, import/export the power 4 time zones to where it is needed with a high voltage direct current import export line. Alternatively just put in way more capacity than you need to use the excess midday to power smelters, hydrogen generators, and other industrial plants who would operate only when power is cheap and available. I'm of the opinion, more power is better and just putting solar on every rooftop could solve a lot of the proposed problems with solar. If the problem is we have more than we need - then use the excess power in a useful way. Smelting, Hydrogen storage, thermal batteries, pumped hydro, irrigation systems, charge cars, etc etc etc.
Matt Watson
7mo
Well said. But perhaps you need to finish the sentence. Since we do not yet have a saleable large scale energy storage system capable of supporting today's 30,000 TWh global electricity generation grid (to be 74,000 TWh by 2050) to meets the worlds nighttime peak (4pm-11pm) electricity demand, nor to be able to meet seasonal peak and weather events, grid reliability will suffer. As you point out, hydro, nuclear or geothermal green sources are much more reliable and able to meet peak demands. Solar is not the only way. COP28 pledges for 3x nuclear are well placed (gets us to ~25% nuclear baseline load by 2050). Hydrogen is NOT cost competitive. Grey H2 in California now $28/kg, laughably higher than gas. Blue H2 stands a much better cost chance. In terms of heavy industry use, you need to burn 3x the H2 to match the heating impact of natural gas. So its costs more, and you need more. LOL ... Hard to figure why H2 is not ramping faster. And for all of the green overspending and over scaling LiB Recycle too early, will someone help Solar PV recycle develop a more complete eco-system before hundreds of millions of tons of panels hit EOL.
Steve Trowbridge
7mo
No battery. Renewables without storage is an incomplete solution.
Yep, solar and wind are unmanageable with low availability as well. That’s a bad combination if you want to make power 24/7 day or night in any kind of weather. They can help but as a standalone source they’re useless. The only sources we really need are nuclear and gas/steam turbines which are totally manageable and with the highest availability historically.
Kevin Cameron
7mo
Fortunately, EVs fix that. The average EV has enough energy to run a home for three days. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-08/china-wants-its-massive-ev-fleet-to-plug-in-and-charge-the-power-grid
Shawn Buckendahl
7mo
Once solar and wind is backed up by some form of bulk storage, like all other power generation sources already have, it will be dispatchable when needed. Unfortunately we aren't there, yet. Nor do investors understand the value of bulk storage.
Nick Jarvinen
7mo
For me solar and wind power generation aren't complete without energy storage. Coal, gas and oil fuelled power generation don't do so well if you don't have energy storage. Remove the fuel tanks, gas tanks, and coal bunkers and see how well those forms of power generation work.
Paul Hader
7mo
Clearly demonstrates that commercial nuclear power plants are the best solution because they produce safe, extremely reliable, affordable, abundant (GW), clean (carbon emission free) energy/ electricity, when it is needed most, independent of the weather or time of day! Clean, abundant Nuclear Energy can be relied upon and it doesn’t need backup!
Solar generation is fairly coincidental with most system's peaks. Wind does blow at night, which is low load but you can't do much about that. Most of the renewable generation that is being installed at the moment is solar.
Partner at omniplan AB Professor in Timber Architecture
7moThere is nothing "green" in nuclear technology. It is as dirty as fossil, just less quantity and worse quality of the hazards. Fortunately we are approaching a new era in the process industry, with vast amounts of hydrogen needed. This is a perfect fit for the intermittent overproduction of electricity from wind and PV-plants.