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PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   30042 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of November 13, 2023

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I'm curious about the effects of a 536-like event once 40% of the world's energy production is solar.

For a partial example, you can look at the Texas electrical grid(which is partially separated from the rest of the country and experiences supply crunches on hot-yet-overcast days for exactly that reason. The solution to this problem suggested by a given politician is a pretty guide to where he stands in the Texas GOP’s internal factional disputes- technocrats want to build nuclear plants, rinos want to connect to the rest of the country, populists want to pollute more).

For a partial example, you can look at the Texas electrical grid...

I live just outside Houston, so I don't need to look very far. Unfortunately the Valentine Vortex would absolutely pale in comparison, I'm afraid.

Much overlooked in the interconnect and renewables conversation is the systemic nature of certain failure modes of solar, I feel like. Much like the 2008 financial crisis, where the odds of one mortgage failing were slim, but if it happened no big deal, one wind or solar farm underproducing or going offline is no big deal--but each one that is offline increases the chances of another being offline. If, say, all the solar in Texas suddenly has difficulty producing, it's highly likely that whatever the cause is stretches beyond Texas borders, be it weather pattern disturbances or atmospheric conditions or whatever, which sets up catastrophic and cascading failures. Interconnection advocates discussing the VV often gloss over the fact that neighbor grids didn't have power to spare either.

That's a troubling thought. Especially since the energy produced by solar panels is already so poor compared to the energy required to create them.

That's even ignoring the prospect of the next Miyake Event.

Even a mere Carrington Event could wipe out a lot of solar production.

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