Environment & Energy
In reply to the discussion: Intermittency Of Renewables?… Not So Much [View all]kristopher
(29,798 posts)What you describe is one element in the design of the present grid. But PamGreg, there are others that are equally, if not more, important - such as the basic act of load balancing performed by the grid operators.
But going from the existence of that aspect of the present centralized grid, to the statement that we cannot achieve large scale renewable integration or build a 100% renewable grid (which is your entire point) is stark raving lunacy.
We balance load at many points in the system and in a fully renewable grid all of the present points will still be there, including "LENZ'S LAW" (quoting your shout).
We will still have thermal power generation, we will still have turbines (only they will be geothermal, hydro, biomass and biomethane) throttling up and down, but we will also be "COARSE tuning" down to the kilowatt level. And that is something we can't do with presently installed 'dumb' technology - the change is what the smart grid is all about.
We will have vastly more battery storage (instant reactive power) - especially in the electric vehicle fleet (V2G). There will be more end use applications that are designed to work on stored heat in order to take advantage of spilled wind and solar - in other words the smart grid will be able to selectively turn on demand in order to help balance load.
All of these and more (eg inverters) are elements of making a renewable grid work and each of them has a solid foundation in physics along with names for the properties they embody. Your focus on the obscure name of a single aspect as the be-all-end-all of everything is a true testament to your dedication to disrupting legitimate discussion on this forum.