Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It Needs Energy

Re:Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It Needs Energy by _ph_ on Tuesday February 01, 2022 @09:41AM (#30163014)

Yes, there needs to be more storage or backing by gas plants. But nuclear power needs the same gas plants as you cannot change the output levels quickly enough to drive the grid. In a sense, constant output is almost as bad for the grid as peak energy, which can easily be throttled. In both cases you need additional flexible plants or storage. In the moment, when there is true surplus renewable energy production, storage buildup will increase quickly.

Side note: electric cars will be a large part of the grid balancing in the future.

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Re:Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It Needs Energy by nomel on Tuesday February 01, 2022 @02:24PM (#30167753)

> Side note: electric cars will be a large part of the grid balancing in the future.

Do you have any good reading for this?

In my naive mind, it’s doomed by the fact that we drive to work in the day, then all come home, together, in the evenings, when the sun is on its way down. Or is the plan to have two way power chargers at businesses too? Otherwise, all these batteries are disconnected when you need them.

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Re:Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It Needs Energy by _ph_ on Tuesday February 01, 2022 @03:48PM (#30169045)

Considering how much storage capacity becomes available when connecting cars to the grid - even if the part used for grid storage is only 10kWh/car (typical batteries have 70 or more kWh) - I would assume there will be a huge push by utility companies to get as much cars connected as possible.

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Re:Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It Needs Energy by nomel on Tuesday February 01, 2022 @07:26PM (#30171830)

Sure, but assuming all of the office buildings of the world don't retrofit their parking structure with grid connections, these cars will only be connected to the grid in the evenings. I suppose this would be great for taming the dinner time spike, but it seems to put the availability, for them to store excess, where it's needed least: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/California-daily-utility...

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Re:Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It Needs Energy by _ph_ on Wednesday February 02, 2022 @12:20PM (#30180618)

Why would you assume that no office building would retrofit their parking structure when there are huge incentives to do so? For sure not all of them might, but if enough do, it will be a major benefit. But yes, if a car isn't connected to the grid it cannot participate.

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Re:Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It Needs Energy by nomel on Wednesday February 02, 2022 @07:10PM (#30186343)

> Why would you assume that no office building

I'm definitely not assuming that none will, I'm just assuming it will be a some smallish fraction for the foreseeable future. Nearly 50% of California's working population works for small business. It's not just the cost of the equipment, but also cost up upgrading the panels and, almost certainly, service lines.

Where I am (a city in California), you have to pay for replacing the service lines/conduits, including digging it up/repairing the street and sidewalk, even if they run 1 city block.

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