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In reply to the discussion: TWENTY NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS - Fifty Percent of the nation's energy needs. [View all]FarCenter
(19,429 posts)41. German Power Grids Increasingly Strained
Some observations are possible from the charts above and other evidence:
Wind power peaks seem not to be simultaneous with PV peaks. This means that PV does not add its full peak capacity to the grid problems during high wind periods.
The main part of the German wind power is installed in the northern part of the country while the main part of the PV capacity is installed in Bavaria. The nuclear moratorium has created the most serious supply problems in the southern part of Germany. This observation suggests additional PV generation to relieve the supply problems.
PV generation cannot reduce the need for peak capacity. The reason is that there is no PV generation during the evening peak load.
The regulating work which must be made by controllable power sources grows considerably with the growth of wind power and PV. TenneT is one of Germanys 4 main grid operators. In the TenneT area a calculation for April 2011 has shown that wind power alone would extend the regulating range by more than 50%, while the actual combination of wind power and PV has doubled the regulating range.
Wind power peaks seem not to be simultaneous with PV peaks. This means that PV does not add its full peak capacity to the grid problems during high wind periods.
The main part of the German wind power is installed in the northern part of the country while the main part of the PV capacity is installed in Bavaria. The nuclear moratorium has created the most serious supply problems in the southern part of Germany. This observation suggests additional PV generation to relieve the supply problems.
PV generation cannot reduce the need for peak capacity. The reason is that there is no PV generation during the evening peak load.
The regulating work which must be made by controllable power sources grows considerably with the growth of wind power and PV. TenneT is one of Germanys 4 main grid operators. In the TenneT area a calculation for April 2011 has shown that wind power alone would extend the regulating range by more than 50%, while the actual combination of wind power and PV has doubled the regulating range.
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/9205
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TWENTY NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS - Fifty Percent of the nation's energy needs. [View all]
Ichingcarpenter
May 2012
OP
So on one day for one minute solar contributed almost half the electrical needs for the country
XemaSab
May 2012
#9
US generating capacity is about 1000 Gigawatts, almost all available at any time.
FarCenter
May 2012
#7
You can probably get to about 50% solar and wind without a storage technology
FarCenter
May 2012
#19
This is today's technology getting cheaper all the time. In the market before the first brick on
Sea-Dog
May 2012
#95
Not talking about new nuclear plants, I'm talking about the push to close the old ones.
jeff47
May 2012
#96
Producing a lab prototype is not the same as a product cheap enough to slap on everyone's house
jeff47
Jun 2012
#99
What happens if your "air conditioner" is actually part of a home energy storage system?
kristopher
May 2012
#27
These things are possible, but they require huge amounts of capital to implement
FarCenter
May 2012
#29
I am enjoying watching the business majors try to argue with a physicist.
girl gone mad
May 2012
#84
Google Map - Massive Geothermal Potential Nationwide, “Effectively an Unlimited Supply” Says Chu
kristopher
May 2012
#73
The only problem with those 250 degree centigrade rocks is that they are 21,000 feet down.
FarCenter
May 2012
#78
I hope you'll someday notice the part in all my posts where I talk about base load.
jeff47
May 2012
#82
Much of that hydro is Niagra, which has been in operation since the dawn of electricity
FarCenter
May 2012
#85
Not so. What is misleading is to make "capacity factor" seem more important than it is.
kristopher
May 2012
#26
And if the guys working on fusion were further along, that could solve the problem too
jeff47
May 2012
#67