Ed: My apologies, but I don't buy it. I did read through the paper cited, and it said that it based its conclusions on "seasonal and inter-annual" variations. Huh? What happened to second-by-second variations, as the Grid is stabilized on intervals like that. And since just solar is at zero for 30+% EVERY DAY, (excluding clouds, etc.) how can 25% make any sense? The proper answer is that Wind and Solar require 100% augmentation.
If you want empirical proof (not some "peer-reviewed" paper), strip all electric power sources off any Hawaiin Island. The replace it with the equal capacity factored wind and solar, and see exactly how much augmentation is needed to provide a guaranteed equivalent of today. (Hint: 100%)
Stellar performance Mr Reid. I'll be citing it (with your permission).
To simplify, If it will cost $48 Trillion to backup 12% of total national MWh, that =equals $4 Trillion per percent. Accordingly if 100% of national electric energy consumption were somehow generated by renewables, that would be $4 Trillion X 100 = $400 Trillion?
What's to worry ? We print our own currency. Ergo, there is no price too high that we can't inflate our way into it.
Ugh!
How many multiples of the World GDP does it have to cost to be a horrible idea?
Ed: My apologies, but I don't buy it. I did read through the paper cited, and it said that it based its conclusions on "seasonal and inter-annual" variations. Huh? What happened to second-by-second variations, as the Grid is stabilized on intervals like that. And since just solar is at zero for 30+% EVERY DAY, (excluding clouds, etc.) how can 25% make any sense? The proper answer is that Wind and Solar require 100% augmentation.
If you want empirical proof (not some "peer-reviewed" paper), strip all electric power sources off any Hawaiin Island. The replace it with the equal capacity factored wind and solar, and see exactly how much augmentation is needed to provide a guaranteed equivalent of today. (Hint: 100%)
John,
That's 25% of cumulative annual generation. Second by second variations are likely handled by power electronics.
Stellar performance Mr Reid. I'll be citing it (with your permission).
To simplify, If it will cost $48 Trillion to backup 12% of total national MWh, that =equals $4 Trillion per percent. Accordingly if 100% of national electric energy consumption were somehow generated by renewables, that would be $4 Trillion X 100 = $400 Trillion?
$400 Trillion = 4 times the world GDP
source: https://www.statista.com/topics/7747/gross-domestic-product-gdp-worldwide/#topicOverview)
Don't forget "all-electric everything", which would make that 100% about 200$ larger. ;-)