Europe's solar power surge hits prices, exposing storage needs
Europe's solar power surge hits prices, exposing storage needs
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Storage needs are obvious for years if not decades. Yet there are none viable so far, at least at larger level. Germany is most obviously suffering from it.
it is not "suffering". it has surplus energy it may sometimes direct into the ground when nobody buys it. it's a shame, but not an actual problem.
It is a problem. First, energy prices are negative if there is a worldwide surplus - thinks summer with long sunny and perhaps windy days, hence you have to pay for somebody to take it. But the real problem is that they can't store for times when they need it, and when that time comes (specially during winter), they burn coal. A lot of it. Or gas. Basically they have to cover worst case scenario with production.
The negative energy price problem is entirely made up. the companies running the grid can ground surplus energy any time. nobody gets paid to take energy in Germany ever. Free energy is not a problem. It's a solution.
Also Germany has lots of pump storage plants and can store enormous amounts of electricity and use them when they later need it.
Germany is about to phase out coal and gas and just still uses it, because the transition period is a bit slow.
Hm, OK, what are they going to do during short and cloudy winter days? And you are optimistic if you think Germany has enough pump or other storage to survive winter without burning coal, gas or imports. A lot of those.
first of all solar produces power even on cloudy days, just less.
it's rarely cloudy in a whole country the size of Germany, but if it is, it's usyally also good conditions for wind power.
in any case, Germany has some ermergency plans. the LNG terminals they quickly started building while having russia problems were planned so they can be switched to green hydrogen imports in the future.
also it's normal to trade energy with European neighbours. everyone is trying not to be a burden for their neighbours though. btw this was of great help when Frances rivers ran dry during the last hot summer and Frances nuclear reactors couldn't operate due to lack of cooling water.
Germany isn't done switching to 100% renewable yet. Lots of homes are still connected to city wide gas networks (for stoves and heating, but it's on track and things are looking good.
German citizens energy bills are required to have diagrams about the energy mix used to provide them with electricity and coal and gas grow smaller every year.
first of all solar produces power even on cloudy days, just less.
Oh, much much less. Even bigger problem is that days are short, those panels don't produce anything at all during night.
in any case, Germany has some ermergency plans. the LNG terminals they quickly started building while having russia problems were planned so they can be switched to green hydrogen imports in the future.
Again, relying on somebody else. Plus there is no green hydrogen at that scale anywhere in the world, nor the storage is there - abroad and in Germany.
also it’s normal to trade energy with European neighbours. everyone is trying not to be a burden for their neighbours though. btw this was of great help when Frances rivers ran dry during the last hot summer and Frances nuclear reactors couldn’t operate due to lack of cooling water.
What country would exchange summer time energy for winter time one? If there is a wider problem with energy supply, each country will take care of itself first. But yes, drought it's a problem with older NPPs, new ones are better at cooling AFAIK.
Germany isn’t done switching to 100% renewable yet.
And that's why it was really smart of Germans to close all NPPs yesterday.