Solar+storage is so much farther along than you think
www.volts.wtf
On how plummeting battery prices make 24/7 solar power a reality today.

Solar and batteries are already cost competitive with gas when it comes to adding new, 24 hour, firm generation. Mileage does vary by location, but many cities (globally) could get to 60-99% powered by solar + battery while being just cheaper than a new gas power plant. This is using numbers from 2024, and both of these technologies are in a cost free fall* and have been for a long time.

*tariffs not included, but they are arbitrary BS

    • Dippy@beehaw.orgOP
      3·
      2 months ago

      I mean, if you read the article, they admit that they took the idea to a silly extreme to prove the point. But they did a bunch of math using global averages, so you should check your math against that. And they are not suggesting to actually only ever use solar and storage going forward. They were saying that new solar and storage is cheaper than new gas up to a substantial extent. Existing gas is a whole different comparison

      • Icanbob@techhub.social
        0·
        2 months ago

        @Dippy It has been my contention that averages and annualized TWh totals are a problematic way to compare an intermittent supply sources on a JIT grid. My analysis of matching a fixed load to actual renewable data in real time lead me to the conclusion that there is a better way to use our cheap renewable resources than just dumping electrons onto a nat gas backed grid.

        https://energyasicit.ca/EnergyVision/

        • Icanbob@techhub.social
          2·
          2 months ago

          @Dippy If you examine the California dataset closely you will see battery charging happening at night sometimes. At those times they are using batteries to hedge on electricity prices not to store any surplus solar power.