Reducing consumption is orthogonal to whether we can operate essential devices when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. The capitulation is deciding that the problem is too hard to solve and instead of solving it we should not try.
I think, when you have a problem, changing your expectations so that you no longer consider it a problem is a valid solution.
For example, say you crash your car and it’s totaled. You could solve that problem by buying a new car. But if you look at your travel patterns and local public transit and decide you can live your life without a car, you’ve also solved that problem.
In this case, the problem is the expense and resource use of a 24/7 electricity. Society could solve that problem by making better batteries and more efficient transmission and more renewable energy sources. Society could also solve that problem by changing our expectation that everyone needs 24/7 electricity. Both of those are solutions, and really, we could use both.
And talking about better technology, the article goes into solutions for heating, cooling, refrigeration, cooking, and so on that provide 24/7 solutions based on intermittent power - for example, the solar refrigerators that are so efficient they can stay cool for up to a week and be powered by a single 200 W solar panel. Medical technology and other vital stuff can be adjusted similarly or run off battery banks charged intermittently rather than relying on 24/7 electric grids. It’s not as if we have to throw out all our batteries - but if we adjust our consumption habits, we can use fewer batteries and save them for the important things.
That is a better balanced take on the problem. Reduction, efficiency, targeting. Still, storage is the crux of all energy problems we have. There’s plenty of energy on earth, but it’s not distributed as we need it in time and space.
I don’t know if storage is more efficient at point of consumption or point of generation. Aggregated storage has more options than a device with a battery. Sending power through a grid has plenty of losses too. Of course it’s logical to use power when it’s in surplus.
I don’t know if storage is more efficient at point of consumption or point of generation
Some time in the recent past or very near future, an incremental addition of capacity became more resource intensive than incremental new generation and battery.
So the ideal is actually have some at both, because this minimises the most wasteful part allowing transmission to run at average rather than peak generation or consumption.
It’s still better to incur mild inconvenience and eliminate storage and transmission for many applications though.
Reducing consumption is orthogonal to whether we can operate essential devices when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. The capitulation is deciding that the problem is too hard to solve and instead of solving it we should not try.
I think, when you have a problem, changing your expectations so that you no longer consider it a problem is a valid solution.
For example, say you crash your car and it’s totaled. You could solve that problem by buying a new car. But if you look at your travel patterns and local public transit and decide you can live your life without a car, you’ve also solved that problem.
In this case, the problem is the expense and resource use of a 24/7 electricity. Society could solve that problem by making better batteries and more efficient transmission and more renewable energy sources. Society could also solve that problem by changing our expectation that everyone needs 24/7 electricity. Both of those are solutions, and really, we could use both.
And talking about better technology, the article goes into solutions for heating, cooling, refrigeration, cooking, and so on that provide 24/7 solutions based on intermittent power - for example, the solar refrigerators that are so efficient they can stay cool for up to a week and be powered by a single 200 W solar panel. Medical technology and other vital stuff can be adjusted similarly or run off battery banks charged intermittently rather than relying on 24/7 electric grids. It’s not as if we have to throw out all our batteries - but if we adjust our consumption habits, we can use fewer batteries and save them for the important things.
That is a better balanced take on the problem. Reduction, efficiency, targeting. Still, storage is the crux of all energy problems we have. There’s plenty of energy on earth, but it’s not distributed as we need it in time and space.
It’s not all or nothing. Running the 200MW industrial drying machine when it’s sunny doesn’t mean you can’t have a battery for your 20W CPAP.
I don’t know if storage is more efficient at point of consumption or point of generation. Aggregated storage has more options than a device with a battery. Sending power through a grid has plenty of losses too. Of course it’s logical to use power when it’s in surplus.
Some time in the recent past or very near future, an incremental addition of capacity became more resource intensive than incremental new generation and battery.
So the ideal is actually have some at both, because this minimises the most wasteful part allowing transmission to run at average rather than peak generation or consumption.
It’s still better to incur mild inconvenience and eliminate storage and transmission for many applications though.