There are five ways you can tackle the variability problem:
1. Build lots of extra capacity
2. Storage (e.g., batteries)
3. Connecting to other countries, to share energy
4. Flexing electricity use to match supply
5. Having some back up “dispatchable” power
1. Build lots of extra capacity
2. Storage (e.g., batteries)
3. Connecting to other countries, to share energy
4. Flexing electricity use to match supply
5. Having some back up “dispatchable” power
Comments
1. Building loads more electricity than you need is expensive, but having extra electricity can be good. It’s what the Victorians would have done - why shouldn’t we, if it’s clean?
https://www.nesta.org.uk/feature/future-signals-2023/too-cheap-to-meter-could-low-cost-renewables-create-an-abundance-of-energy/
The cost of batteries has fallen dramatically, and this is almost as important as falling solar costs. Batteries mostly only cover shorter periods (days not weeks), but they will play a huge role in balancing the variability of renewables
Trading with more neighbours helps you smooth out energy supply. When Britain is short, other countries often have excess, and vice versa. We need to trade more!
https://www.ageofinvention.xyz/p/age-of-invention-why-globalisation
This one sounds contentious, but it really isn’t. Renewables are changing the electricity market, and you can get VERY cheap electricity if you use it at the right times. Charge your car cheaply overnight, avoid the early evening peaks and you save a lot of money
Finally - and this is the point I really wanted to make - having backup generation on standby isn’t *that* big a problem. If you remember, gas power plants aren’t *that* expensive to build in the scheme of things…
In fact, Labour’s Clean Power 2030 plan envisages 5% of electricity being from gas plants by 2030…