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Re:Wind and solar power are even more expensive than is comm... by tomjen3 on Monday July 28, 2014 @02:29AM (#8095474)
One a really stormy day I want to be able to hide under my electric blanket, with a cup of tea, in front of the tv/computer.

That requires electricity, but those solar panels aren't going to be very effective when it is overcast and rainy.

Why not just go for getting a thorium reactor to work and then use them instead?

Re:Wind and solar power are even more expensive than is comm... by crdoconnor on Monday July 28, 2014 @02:36AM (#8095483)
Solar panels still generate power when it is overcast. Not as much as on sunny days, obviously, but a lot more than most people give them credit for.

On stormy days, also, wind generators will be generating a lot more power than usual. They are more than likely capable of heating your blanket.

Although less efficient, power on days when intermittency is high can also be transferred from pumped water storage and from hundreds of miles away where it might be sunny and windy.

Re:Wind and solar power are even more expensive than is comm... by Guthur on Monday July 28, 2014 @04:23AM (#8095693)
Depends on how stormy, Many wind turbines have a max wind speed rating, above which they will be shutdown in some way.
Re:Wind and solar power are even more expensive than is comm... by crdoconnor on Monday July 28, 2014 @04:40AM (#8095732)
Are there figures on the actual effects of this? How often it happens/the level by which electricity output is reduced?
Re:Wind and solar power are even more expensive than is comm... by Guthur on Monday July 28, 2014 @06:42AM (#8096003)
I would imagine it is highly dependent on the model of wind turbine. The window of operation like varies widely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_61400

I would imagine that high wind rating turbines are more expensive.

Re:Wind and solar power are even more expensive than is comm... by crdoconnor on Monday July 28, 2014 @09:21AM (#8096522)
>I would imagine it is highly dependent on the model of wind turbine.

This is why I asked for figures on the overall effect - covering all models. I'm not seeing anything so far to convince me that its effect is more than negligible.

Re:Wind and solar power are even more expensive than is comm... by spingsprong on Monday July 28, 2014 @03:26AM (#8095569)
Because thorium reactors don't exist?
Re:Wind and solar power are even more expensive than is comm... by mpweiher on Monday July 28, 2014 @02:42AM (#8095491)
"On a really stormy day [..] but those solar panels [..]"

Good thing that wind turbine is going to be cranking. :-)

Re:Wind and solar power are even more expensive than is comm... by rurounijones on Monday July 28, 2014 @02:50AM (#8095502)
Or disabled due to wind speeds being too high.