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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Oz on verge of having too much solar PV?
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| lizby Guru  Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3468 |
Interesting article in the Guardian, especially considering the comments: Is Australia on the verge of having too much solar energy? PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
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| Boppa Guru Joined: 08/11/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 816 |
Too much solar = lower electricity prices = unhappy electricity company execs and shareholders They would rather have unhappy customers than unhappy shareholders Things like pumped storage and other storage systems would be the best way forward, the sooner every single coal burner is shut down the better IMHO (of course this is exactly the opposite of what our current government is trying to do, which is minimise solar and other renewables and open more coal plants- they have even been running TV adds here about it spruiking 'clean coal')  |
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| lizby Guru Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3468 |
Two things in the charts surprised me (well, three, counting the astonishing amount of PV)--the amount of "brown coal" (upon investigating, I see there are not just "world-class", but "world dominating" reserves--except not worth transporting), and the fluctuations of hydro, being maxed out just as solar is declining. I had thought that if you had the water, you'd just run the hydro flat out. One of the comments had the clue, which you also refer to--pumped storage. Where and in what quantity is this available? In the U.S., "clean coal" is also being hyped, despite the fact that, so far, it's nothing but hype. I recognize the threat to the grid, and the need to maintain it for those times and places where local generation and storage won't work, but other than "look out only for me" stockholders and stakeholders, I don't understand why anyone would oppose the maximization of that local generation and storage where it works (not in Nova Scotia). PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
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| Boppa Guru Joined: 08/11/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 816 |
Biggest issue for hydro here is that we only have a few major river systems, and many are under serious threat already from excessive water being pulled for irrigation etc Plus many of the dams here are dual purpose (the local ones here are for both flood control and hydro generation- as well as being the seriously overloaded water supplies for the big smoke.... So they have to be empty enough for the wet season for flood control, full enough to supply water in extended droughts and make electricity as well They 'usually get it right' but when they stuff up.... One year they were talking about building pipelines interstate because dam levels were under 5% and some places were literally having to bring in water by truck, then later the same year they were slow in reacting (possibly as it was the first decent rainfall in years and they wanted to capture as much as possible in the dams) and had to release water when the dams were overfull (the closest to me was at 140% capacity and still rising when they opened the gates and let out a huge amount of water- into an already flooding river system- resulting in this  I was stuck at my sister place (luckily on the top of the only hill in the area) totally surrounded without power (YAY diesel van fitted with inverter and full fuel tank!!!) we had power to run the fridge and lights/tv/phones and laptop, but many others didnt, as the local substation was literally completely covered by water, totally submerged up to the wires almost.... |
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