California just debunked a big myth about renewable energy

Submitted ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨SteveKLord@slrpnk.net⁩ to ⁨energy@slrpnk.net⁩

https://grist.org/energy/california-just-debunked-a-big-myth-about-renewable-energy/

One of the biggest myths about renewable energy is that it isn’t reliable. Sure, the sun sets every night and winds calm down, putting solar panels and turbines to sleep. But when those renewables are humming, they’re providing the grid with electricity and charging banks of batteries, which then supply power at night.

A new study in the journal Renewable Energy that looked at California’s deployment of renewable power highlights just how reliable the future of energy might be. It found that last year, from late winter to early summer, renewables fulfilled 100 percent of the state’s electricity demand for up to 10 hours on 98 of 116 days, a record for California. Not only were there no blackouts during that time, thanks in part to backup battery power, but at their peak the renewables provided up to 162 percent of the grid’s needs — adding extra electricity California could export to neighboring states or use to fill batteries.

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IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
California didn’t really debunk anything here. It’s a coastal state with plenty of wind and a predominantly warm, sunny, rain free climate. Of course renewables like wind and solar do well. The reliability concerns are usually more prevalent in areas that have much higher precipitation, and especially in climates that get snow.

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- SteveKLord@slrpnk.net ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  From the scientific journal directly sited in the article :
  
  It’s true that solar energy is only produced when the sun is shining on solar panels. Likewise, wind energy is dependent on the ebb and flow of air currents. But the sheer volume of renewable energy being deployed, the ability to store that energy for longer, and to match demand with supply using software, creates a balanced grid.
  
  According to BloombergNEF, lithium-ion battery cell densities have almost tripled, and costs have declined by almost 90% in the past decade – making it easier to smooth out the peaks and troughs of generation to meet the shifts and cycles of demand. Renewable energy sources themselves have dropped by as much as 82% over the same timeframe. Further improvements to both generation and storage will continue driving down costs, making renewable energy even more attractive to consumers.
  
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  - IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Ok, but none of that mentions how they plan to account for panels buried under a foot of snow for half the year. That’s the source of the concern, not simply smoothing out daily peaks and valleys.
    
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- wewbull@feddit.uk ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  I’d be more interested to know how things have been in the recent disaster scenarios. The fires have downed power infrastructure all over the place. Have renewables been a positive, negative, or no different in terms of keeping the power on for people?
  
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  - RubberElectrons@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Shouldn’t be a big change, the transmission system is the same no matter the prime mover.
    
    When fires melted power lines near where I used to live in soCal, SCE would have trucks roll in, dig in new power poles and run the cable. Power restored within about a week, so long as they had stock on transformers.
    
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Evotech@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
100% for 10/24 hours on 98/116 days is a reeeaaal funky way of doing matg

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- beeng@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Sure is. Tells me a lot more than just the total energy produced.
  
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- keepthepace@slrpnk.net ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  And a weird way of saying that intermittence is solved…
  
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  - fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Exactly. Show me 24 hours on 90% of days then I’m impressed
    
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PlzGivHugs@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Ah, yes. Thank you for proving solar and wind are reliable. I’m sure the performance will be completely identical here in Canada where it’s been dim and overcast for the last two weeks and everything is coated in 6 inches of ice and 30 more of snow.

I’m obviously being facetious, but this is a really terrible headline. Renewables have an important place, and California is right up there for best case, but using best-case and saying that debunks the idea that they’re unreliable is ridiculous.

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- sj_zero ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  California is a best case for the worst renewables. I always use Manitoba and Quebec as examples of good renewables done well. Norway as well. Cold places that need heat or you die, and lots of people can afford to heat their homes with carbon neutral hydro power.
- SteveKLord@slrpnk.net ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Beyond simply the headline, the first two paragraphs from the article directly address this and site their source ( mentioned quoted above ) which further addresses the issue you are mentioning.
  
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Cypher@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

renewables fulfilled 100 percent of the state’s electricity demand for up to 10 hours on 98 of 116 days

That’s a far cry from providing 100% of electricity demand for a full day.

Cherry picking stats that look good is scummy behaviour. ‘Up to’ are also weasel words when we’re talking what should be solid numbers.

People need electricity 24h day not 10h a day.

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AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
And if they built steam engines in the forests, they could have made even more renewable electricity.

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