Saved by Lucas Kohorst
Solar will get too cheap to connect to the power grid.
As challenging as such arrangements are, they rely on technically mature (and still improving) solutions—that is, on more efficient PV cells, large onshore and offshore wind turbines, and high-voltage (including long-distance direct current) transmission. If costs, permitting processes, and not-in-my-backyard sentiments were no obstacles, these tec
... See moreVaclav Smil • How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going
Decarbonization of electricity generation can make the fastest progress, because installation costs per unit of solar or wind capacity can now compete with the least expensive fossil-fueled choices, and some countries have already transformed their generation to a considerable degree. Among large economies, Germany is the most notable example: sinc
... See moreVaclav Smil • How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going
To achieve clean energy targets, many jurisdictions will have to overbuild renewables, increasing curtailment, or wasting of renewable energy. LDES could reduce or eliminate curtailment, allowing renewables to produce at full capacity whenever the weather is aligned.
David Roberts • There's real long-duration energy storage now. Can it find a market?
The advance of technology was such that a growing number of countries were able to run their power grids for more and more hours of the day on wind and solar power.
Eliza Griswold • Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America
Rooftop solar, battery storage, electric vehicles, and energy management devices are all examples of DERs – numerous pockets of energy spread throughout the grid rather than concentrated in a single spot. Unlike centralized sources of power, DERs can make the grid flexible and enable control of both electricity supply and demand in real-time. Howev... See more