Re:Why did renewables become so cheap so fast?
by lotsofpulp on Wednesday December 02, 2020 @07:36PM
(#25283783)
In my experience, machinery experiences more wear and tear if you repeatedly turn it off and on than just letting it run constantly.
I’d expect a power plant to be the same with all the heat and whatnot.
Re:Why did renewables become so cheap so fast?
by robocat on Wednesday December 02, 2020 @07:30PM
(#25283747)
Peaker plants can get paid fees to be ready to deliver power, even without actually running. I think there are plants that get built, paid for as a pure peaker plant, and never run because the peaker is not required.
Another effect is it makes these plants sit idle for periods of time.
It costs a lot of money to build a power plant. Every hour it sits idle is an hour you're not getting any benefit out of the investment you made. So it takes longer to break even on your investment. (Possibly, as a consolation, the plant lasts longer or has lower yearly maintenance costs.)