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A Little Arithmetic: The Costs Of A Solar-Powered Grid Without Fossil Fuel Back-up
Manhattan Contrarian ^ | 29 Jul, 2021 | Francis Menton

Posted on 08/01/2021 4:57:39 AM PDT by MtnClimber

click here to read article


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1 posted on 08/01/2021 4:57:39 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

Green is the new red.


2 posted on 08/01/2021 4:57:51 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

WATERMELON POWER!! Green on the outside, red through and through.


3 posted on 08/01/2021 5:04:30 AM PDT by EandH Dad (sleeping giants wake up REALLY grumpy)
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To: MtnClimber

Texas and California can tell you about that......although California would probly lie about it


4 posted on 08/01/2021 5:04:49 AM PDT by V_TWIN
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To: MtnClimber

In a similar math problem it was determined to meet the USA power needs tge entire West of the USA would have to covered in solar panels.


5 posted on 08/01/2021 5:05:04 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (The democrats have just replaced KKK with CRT. /Kevin McCarty 7/6/21)
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To: MtnClimber

Most of the population gets their information from mainstream media journalists. Most of the journalist class is innumerate. So we shouldn’t find it surprising people are so clueless about how terrible Green New Deal energy policy really is.


6 posted on 08/01/2021 5:06:09 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: MtnClimber

Reality / math = science
And science isn’t any progressive’s strong suit.


7 posted on 08/01/2021 5:08:32 AM PDT by Montana_Sam (Truth lives.)
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To: MtnClimber

Don’t you know that math is racist?


8 posted on 08/01/2021 5:10:55 AM PDT by jdsteel ("A Republic, Madam, if you can keep it." Sorry Ben, looks like we blew it.)
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To: MtnClimber
We start with the current usage that must be supplied. Currently, the usage ranges between a low of around 30 GW and a high of around 40 GW over the course of a day.*For purposes of this exercise, let’s assume an average usage of 35 GW. Multiply by 24, and we find as a rough estimate that the system must supply 840 GWH of electricity per day.

* Surely the author meant "over the course of an hour because they multiply that number by 24 to arrive at the 840 GWH figure for the average daily usage. There was no reason to multiply by 24 if the 35 GW is the average for a day...Or what did I miss?

9 posted on 08/01/2021 5:25:34 AM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: MtnClimber

How quaint. You appear to be under the mistaken belief that facts, logic, and clear thinking matters to these morons.


10 posted on 08/01/2021 5:27:55 AM PDT by ps425dc
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To: MtnClimber

Good article. A mix of renewables and natural gas makes sense, and is a much cheaper way to generate power than nukes or coal, but we are far away from being able to run a grid on just renewables.


11 posted on 08/01/2021 5:28:26 AM PDT by Renfrew
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To: BradyLS

...Unless a GWH is 1/24 of a GW??? That doesn’t seem intuitive to me.


12 posted on 08/01/2021 5:30:01 AM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: MtnClimber

Do people want really, REALLY “green” power? Or is it just a talking point?

We could drill down, maybe a few hundred feet near a seismatically active area, where magma is relatively close to the surface, or really deep, several miles, until again there are molten lava beds. Then tap into the heat to run geothermal power plants, at virtually no cost for fuel, no pollution, and little danger of a radioactive escape. This is already a “China syndrome” that shall never penetrate any deeper than it already is.

This probably calls for a much higher level of engineering than is now applied to either solar or wind power generation, but it has the advantage of running 24/7/365, with only very rare downtime, to replace casings and piping that succumbed to the extreme heat.

And it can be applied virtually anywhere on the surface of the earth, if only the access is drilled deep enough. Plus, long transmission lines from distant sites of the power generation to the point of consumption could be vastly reduced or eliminated altogether.

But until then, there are thorium-fueled molten salt reactors, which use atomic fission as their power source.

If we ever get over superstitious dread of all things nuclear. Thorium-fueled plants have few if any of the huge disadvantages of uranium-fueled light water reactors.

https://www.powermag.com/a-thorium-molten-salt-reactor-when-and-where-you-need-it/


13 posted on 08/01/2021 5:30:02 AM PDT by alloysteel ( Cows don't give milk. You have to work for it.)
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To: BradyLS

no you are correct.

I caught that too.


14 posted on 08/01/2021 5:31:26 AM PDT by Chickensoup (Voter ID for 2020!! Leftists totalitarian fascists appear to be planning to eradicate conservatives)
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To: MtnClimber
And of course the default solution is the "North Korea Scenario". Just turn off the power for everybody except the elites. When the supply starts to replenish, let the plebs have a little, at least for a while.

Solar-powered Apple iPhones would also be an alternative.

15 posted on 08/01/2021 5:35:46 AM PDT by Bernard (The very best scientific articles always contain this phrase: “My personal intuition has been…”)
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To: MtnClimber

What percentage is being used by illegal aliens?

I’d venture they weren’t using as much energy in their home countries.


16 posted on 08/01/2021 5:43:21 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: Montana_Sam

Apparently ‘SCIENCE!!’ Only goes so far with the typical leftist..


17 posted on 08/01/2021 5:48:03 AM PDT by mowowie
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To: MtnClimber

California is going to be the New Nigeria when it comes to power distribution.

That means government centers and wealthy zip codes get the electricity, and everybody else gets occasional scraps.


18 posted on 08/01/2021 5:56:41 AM PDT by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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To: MtnClimber
I live in Spain, which is loaded with windmills that were supposed to make electricity more affordable. Spain just went to a three-tiered electricity system where you pay for how much you use depending on the time of day. I guess their plan isn't working out as well as they promised. Here are the new estimated usage rates per hour for typical appliances. That's an electric space heater at the top.


19 posted on 08/01/2021 5:58:41 AM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
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To: MtnClimber

Thorium Nuclear Power Plants as your base supply.

Add Hydro as a peak supplement.

Use Natural Gas as an emergency backup when a system goes down or needs maintenance.

If someone wants wind and/or solar to live off the grid, more power to them. (did you see that pun?)


20 posted on 08/01/2021 6:04:04 AM PDT by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right..........)
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