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Re:How cheap does solar power need to get before it takes ov... by dredmorbius on Monday April 18, 2016 @11:16PM (#11524662)
No idea why the hivemind is downvoting you, but you're absolutely correct.

A couple of additions and caveats.

Friend of mine at ORNL has been talking up compressed air energy storage (CAES). I'm somewhat dubious due to the Boyles law heating/cooling problem (gasses heat when compressed, cool when expanded, and the resulting heat flows affect both efficiency and equipment function -- gas turbines don't spin well when iced solid).

Pumped-hydro is the most efficient storage solution bar none, but is painfully restricted by siting opportunities. Being able to use oceans as a lower baisin might address this, though salt-water engineering is a significant concern (corrosion and other issues).

Interesting to see molten salt as at large scale that pencils out a viable for even, say, a two week total energy replacement solution for the US. You'd need tankage (insulated) roughly corresponding to current Oaklahoma oil transshipment storage facilities.

Electricity-to-fuel is another option, with Sabatier and Fischer-Tropsch cycles both proven. Carbon source from seawater appears somewhat promising, though my concern is that there's been 50 years of research without a large-scale demonstration project, making me suspect deeper issues.

I actually am a fan of load-shedding, and suspect that the concept of dispatchable load as opposed to supply may be part of the future way of thinking.

Coal => gas is a no-brainer, though also not a total solution, by a long shot.

Geothermal is highly underrated, especially if currently protected areas are opened for consideration. The Yellowstone caldera could possibly supply up to 15% of total US electrical demand.

Re:How cheap does solar power need to get before it takes ov... by Someone on Tuesday April 19, 2016 @11:33AM (#11527674)
"Being able to use oceans as a lower baisin might address this"

There also are ideas to use the ocean as the higher basin. See https://trustyetverify.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/energy-from-..., https://www.technologyreview.com/s/510806/a-manmade-island-t...

Re:How cheap does solar power need to get before it takes ov... by dredmorbius on Tuesday April 19, 2016 @11:51AM (#11527806)
Interesting. Japan's done a lower baisin trial.
Re:How cheap does solar power need to get before it takes ov... by jasonwatkinspdx on Tuesday April 19, 2016 @11:22AM (#11527593)
> Carbon source from seawater appears somewhat promising, though my concern is that there's been 50 years of research without a large-scale demonstration project, making me suspect deeper issues.

I haven't seen anything about it recently, but the Navy was/is funding a demonstration plant in Hawaii. I really hope it works out as I'm skeptical that the developing world will shift to electric vehicles anytime soon.

Re:How cheap does solar power need to get before it takes ov... by dredmorbius on Tuesday April 19, 2016 @11:59AM (#11527852)